Secrets of the Heart
by DreamsInMyHeart16
Summary: Katara was raised by a vampire named Zuko. The bad thing is that she seems to be falling for him and ontop of the that, his brother seems to want her because of her bloodline. Can she cope with this? Or will evil overcome her? Zutara. Taang. Sukka
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

* * *

**Chapter One**:

_Love and Hate: The Girl_

* * *

**China: 1919**

He came in the night, like all other nights. The dark shadow that followed him spread across the village appeared and disappeared just as quick. He had only one object in mind, and that was to get her as his bride before the red moon disappeared at the rising of the sun.

The young girl, five-year-old Katara, heard him, even in her sleep. He was coming for her mother she knew it. She had a connection with him, but she didn't know yet. She was still too young to understand, but she stood up quietly in her bed and climbed off. She knew where he had gone and she followed.

He didn't sense her present. He should have, but he didn't. He was focused on the bedroom ahead of him as he zoomed by with amazing speed.

He found the door lock, and smiled to himself. Foolish mortals, they think they can lock him out. Without another thought, he turned into mist, sliding underneath the small gap under the door, appearing in his ordinary form when he reach the other side.

She was there, waiting for him. Her face deathly pale no longer its beautiful mocha color, her lips, once red and lush, were pale and blue now. Her eyes were flat, unmoving, unblinking. Soon, he thought, as he gathered her up in his arms. Soon we will be together.

"Halt!" The voice cried out in the darkness. It was from a corner of the room somewhere, he knew. He had sense his presence before he had entered the room and was wondering how long it would take him to call out.

"Let her go, Jet. She is my wife, not yours."

Jet's lips curled. "Yours for only your lifetime, Hakoda, but she is mine forever."

"Let her go, I will only say it once."

Jet turned around to face him. "And what if I do not? What will you do with me? Scare me off with a cross? Drive a stake through my heart?"

"I might just do that." Hakoda answered, but he was not so sure of his answer.

Jet laughed, "I have no time to entertain foolish mortals tonight. Can you not see she begs for me, not you?"

"You have her under a trance, a spell!"

As if she heard her husband's shout, she blinked, but only once, "Ha…"

"You see? You will only make her crazy by turning her into one of you," Hakoda laughed, the stake, he held in his hand. "You think she is in love with you? She will never love a beast like you! You live in the night, your kinds are dwindling, how long do you think you can last? A couple more hundred years?"

Jet's handsome face turned into the devil, the lips that were masculine, powerful and full, now twisted up in fury, his eyes flare red, and his fangs grew. "You think I will give her up just like this?"

"Let her go!" Hakoda charged towards the vampire, uncaring of how foolish he was acting. He wanted his wife back, the one who always smiled and laughed, the one who brought joy to his life, not the quiet one, the one who feared his touch now and called to a different name in the middle of the night.

Katara didn't move, didn't flinch as she saw the vampire drive her father's own weapon into his own heart. She knew he was going to do that, she had known. She didn't know why she had known, but she knew.

"You bastard," Hakoda gasped, just as the door opened and most of the villagers came charging into the room, not even noticing the small hidden shape in the corner of the room. "You will not get away!"

Jet didn't wait; instead, he wrapped her up in his cloak and disappeared from sight.

"Hakoda!" It was Hakoda's brother. "Are you all right?"

"Get Kya back…" Hakoda' gasped, struggling to breath, to keep his lungs alive.

"We must stop the bleeding!" Hakoda''s brother's sister said harshly as she came over with a wet towel.

"No use," Hakoda' was losing it, but he struggled to stay in focus. "My last wish, take…care of…Katara…"

"We will have to pull the stake out!"

"No, it will only deepen the wound!"

"Hakoda'!"

"Promise!" Hakoda' grabbed his brother's collar, eyes frantic, searching his face, "If she is change…do not let her get to Katara…"

"Brother!"

Hakoda's gripped on his brother's cease, and his hands dropped to the floor.

"I will revenge you!"

"Father…" Katara couldn't move. Her small body was planted right there as she watch her uncle pick up her father's body. Her mother was gone, but she will come back. She had to come back, Katara thought.

She waited until there was not a single noise in the house before she got out of her hiding spot. Something bad was going to happen. She knew it like she had known her father was going to die tonight.

**(-)**

Katara didn't know what woke her up, but she had only gotten a couple of minutes of sleep when she heard the cries. She tilted her head, as if studying the noise, and then got up from her bed and went downstairs. There were screams everywhere, cries of agony, and she smelled fire.

**(-)**

She opened the door outside, knowing whom she was going to see. She saw him, the vampire, and the one who had killed her father and caused her mother's death. She hated him then. He was evil, unlike her animal friends. He loved to kill, he loved to cause pain, and she stood there, watching as he drove his sword through her uncle's heart.

"Uncle!" She called out, not knowing why she did, but she did.

They both turned their attention to her, the vampire's eyes blazing with fire, burning with the color of blood. His mouth was covered with blood; his fangs glistened in the moonlight.

"Run, child!" Her uncle managed to call out to her before he fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Yes, run child, but that will get you no where," the vampire said, his voice soothing, surrounding her, trying to entrance her, but he was stunned by the sudden block he received from her.

"Do not do that!" she cried. "I no like you! What did you do with my mommy!"

Jet's anger flared up again. Her mommy eh? Her mommy, so Alys had a daughter, one she managed to hide from him, his anger rose even more. And why did he not sense her presence in the house?

Jet walked towards the girl, shifting his shoulders until he was facing her and then started walking slowly to scare her, or intimidate her, but she stood there, unmoving. Her eyes were already blazing, just like his, with the flames of hell. Why wasn't she afraid of him?

He stop in front of her, and knew, just knew that he couldn't kill her. Yes, she would grow up to be just like her mother, he could see it now. Lips full and lush that would taste like cherry, eyes, long chocolate-brown cascading curly locks, oceanic blue eyes with dark, long lash eyelashes; blood as sweet as nectar. He couldn't have the mother, he thought, as he remember how she had come to, and how she had killed herself when she learned of her husband's death. He can't have the mother, but he would have the daughter. He would raise her until she is old enough—

"Come here," he said, trying to cajole her with his voice, deep and soothing.

"No!" She answered him fiercely as she started to move now, back inside the house even though she knew she was helpless. But he was there! She knew it! He was here! He was coming for her! She just needed time.

"Come back here!" Jet commanded, but the girl shut the door on him and ran into the house. With a growl, he tore the door apart.

She ran, knowing which way to go, and which way to not go. Her mind seem as if it suddenly had a mind of its own, telling her to turn left, and then right, and then left again. She ran blindly, but quietly in the house, her breath coming in big gulps. He was bad; she had to get away from him.

"Going somewhere?" Jet appeared in front of the small girl. She was not crying, she was not trembling with fear. Instead she was staring at him with such loath in her eyes.

"You not get me!" she shouted loudly, as if she knew why he wouldn't kill her.

She was strong, he thought, for a mortal girl.

**(-)**

She turned back the other way, avoiding his hand just in time as it whoosh out to grab her. He gave an angry cry. No mortal has ever managed to get away from his this long. He was going to teach her a lesson once he got his hands on her, he thought.

He was outside, but she was gone. He frowned, where was she—

"I see, you have not change, have you brother?"

Jet turn around furiously as he recognized whom the voice belongs to, "Zuko!"

Zuko didn't move as he watched his brother, younger by fifty years. Jet was still killing, even after Zuko had warned him not to. He knew their numbers were rare, and if he was not careful, in a couple of hundred years, they would cease to exist, that was why he wanted to be careful, but his brother. He was making it damn hard, and even though he was only his half-brother, he will have to kill him for disobeying the laws of the undead.

"Give her to me," Jet demanded.

Zuko glanced down at the young girl clinging to his knees behind him. She was very brave, he thought. She was not trembling like other mere humans would at the sight of them, and though he knew she was afraid, she was doing a very well show of not trembling. He was sorry though, that he would have to kill her after his little confrontation with his half-brother.

"What is she to you?" Zuko asked. "Do you not know the laws of the undead, brother? What has happen to you?"

"I am no longer the weakling you all think I am," Jet answered, "and if you refuse to hand her over to me, I will kill you."

"I will kill her then." Zuko said, thinking it odd as he probed the girl's mind. She was not afraid of him, but she hated Jet. Then her mind was shut off from his completely, and he looked down at the girl. She looked up at him, fiercely, as if knowing what he had been doing and was giving him a warning glance.

"Then I will haunt you for life," Jet warn harshly. "Katara, come here!"

Zuko step aside, away from the girl. "It will be her decision, if she picks me, then I will kill her after I have dealt with you. But if she chooses you, I will let you two go in peace."

Jet frowned. He had to get into her mind, tell her; he needed to enthrall her so she will listen to him. But as he started to, he was shut off from her mind.

"You can not do that," Zuko struggled not to curve his lips as the young girl stood there and stared at Jet. "Come on, little one, pick."

Katara tilted her head, acting old beyond her years. She looked at Jet, and then at Zuko. Without hesitating, without another thought, she moved backwards until she was standing next to Zuko, her eyes still held Jet's.

"I am going to kill you!" Jet lunged himself at them, angry that she had chosen his brother over him. He was going to kill her, torture her, he vowed, once he gets his hands on her.

Zuko picked the girl up easily with one of his arm and swung around so he was behind Jet. Without another thought, his sword, which appeared out of nowhere all of a sudden, lash Jet's back.

Jet gave a roar and turned around, but only to find air. Zuko was already gone again, standing a couple of yards behind him.

"Over here, brother." Zuko called out, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"One more time, give her to me," Jet yelled.

Zuko look up at the sky, the orange red sky signal the rising of the sun. "

You seem to have lost your sense, Jet. Look, the sun is rising."

Jet growled, his eyes blazing with vengeance, "I will come for her, on her 18th birthday, I swear I will." With that he disappeared.

"I will make sure she lives not past that age," Zuko reply softly, as the sun appear in the horizon, and he winced. He had been out in the sun all day yesterday, and though he could stand the light of the sun, unlike other vampires, he could only stand so much before the sun began to drain his energy.

"You are lucky," Zuko told the little girl in his arms, who was still staring up at him strangely. "You will have one more day to live, so enjoy it well."

**(-)**

Katara look at the sleeping vampire beside her. He was an old one, she thought, as she frowned. She knelt in front of him so their faces were nearly touching and examined him. He had stop breathing once the sun had shine its rays down on the earth. She wanted to go out, but she didn't want to leave the safety of the cave and him. She felt safe by his side. She didn't want to go back to her village, she realized. Her mommy and papa, to her knowledge, were in heaven now, protected. They would be watching over her now, just like how her grandmother had watch over her too when her grandmother had gone to heaven.

Did dead mean the same thing as heaven? Katara frowned as she brought her right hand up to touch his cheek. It was cold, but she didn't move back. She couldn't see very well in the dark, but he was pale. Just like her grandmother was when she had sneak in to see where her grandmother had lain before her parents had buried her.

He was her hero, she thought, as she smiled. Her hero, her very own hero, just like in the stories her mommy had told her. And he would be her hero. Without thinking, she yawned, and then set both her hands on his chest. Her head followed, and a moment later, she was asleep with him, but it wasn't the deathly sleep that he slept.

--

Zuko awakened, knowing the girl was next to him. She should have run, he thought. After all, he had slept like the dead, and he knew a lot of people who would have run off at the sight of him. He slept like the dead; in fact he is the dead. She should have run also, that way he wouldn't have to kill her. Who knew what cruel ideas Jet had for her once she was captured, and he didn't want her suffering by the hands of his half-brother? Neither did he want another Zukol on his conscious. He had had enough over the centuries, and each time, the beast within him grew until he could no longer control it. Now it was hidden. He had been living as a recluse from the outside world to control the beast inside of him. And he had control it, that was why he was out now, for only a decade though, and he was amazed at how much the world had change, but how little human kind had change. He wanted to stretch, to go out and feed. He had not feed for a while now, and he needed to feed if he was going to kill the girl beside him. But he didn't rouse from fear of waking her up. She was sleeping just like a baby; her steady breathing was the only noise heard in the quiet cave he had found a couple of miles away from the village. He would have to go back and burn the whole village. It would cease to exist; no one would care for the villagers for the village was a small one and those who live in it knew only each other and naught of the outside world.

The girl yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "You are awake."

Zuko didn't answer. Instead he got up himself. He was going to have to kill her, he reminded himself.

"I hungry." She complained as she stood up when he stood up. "Are we go back to eat?"

Zuko stared down at the little girl before him and closed his eyes. He did not want to start caring for her! He didn't want her, and just as soon as he was done filling his own hunger, he was going to kill her.

"How did you get that scar?" Katara asked. "Did it hurt?"

He went to the entrance of the cave, looking around for any danger.

Sensing none, he was about to go back to get the girl when she appeared at his feet. She moved so quietly, he didn't even sense her, he thought. This was a strange girl…a very strange girl indeed. She wasn't crying, wasn't trembling, wasn't acting like any mere mortal would in her situation, and to top it all, she was only five years, to be exact. How could she not be mourning for her loss?

"That way," she pointed, quite opposite from her village. "That where my mommy and my papa come from."

Zuko didn't comment. She couldn't possibly remember, he thought. She must have been quite young, probably just a little baby…

He picked her up, and she snuggled close to him, burying her face into his chest to keep out the coldness.

Zuko fought the emotions that were already climbing up, and manage to swallow them back down. She was going to die, a very easy death by his hands, or a slow and torturous death by his half-brother's hands. He preferred his way, quick and gentle, that way; she won't feel a single thing.

It didn't take him long to reach another small village, this time, a little bit bigger than Katara's village. It was a lot bigger, but a lot filthier too, he wrinkle his nose in distaste as he smell the foul scent of alcohol blended in with blood and days and days of unbath men, women and children.

Katara, on the other hand, was oblivious to it all but the feeling of being safe and loved in his arms.

He could leave her here, he thought, as he took a look around. She was able to block Jet, so Jet would probably never find her, maybe, just maybe a couple of old people might take her in and she would be able to lead a good life. It would be better than the death he had in plan for her; at least, she had a chance at life.

"Stay here." Zuko told Katara quietly, softly, as he set her on the ground next to a couple of houses.

"Where are you going?" Katara look up at him, trustingly as she tried to read his mind.

Zuko couldn't help but smile when he felt the tug in his mind, but he managed to block his thoughts from her. "No where. Stay here, and do not go anywhere all right?"

Katara nodded, already knowing he was going to leave her. But she didn't want him to leave, she thought. She wanted to stay with him. She stayed right where she was though because she didn't want to injure him.

But just as soon as he left, she twirled around to look in the darkness. They were there, more like Jet, she could feel them, could smell them, and she hated it. She took a step back, wanting to call out to Zuko, but he had left her. He might already be gone already.

"N'one vill miss her," one of the guy said to the other.

"And zat guy zust drop her off like she waz nothing to him." The other guy laughed.

"Daughterz dun mean much these days."

"I vant ze first zip."

"Go , but if she growz up, she might becomez of uze to uz, do not drink her dry yet."

Katara didn't answer; she just stood there and took a step back as they came at her. She stood, ready to fight, and when one jump on her, she move back suddenly, with amazing speed for such a little girl, surprising the two vampires.

"Get her, ye damn fool! She iz only a little girl!"

"Ye get her then!" the other yelled back at his partner as he lunged for her again.

This time, Katara had nowhere to run. But she didn't need too. She wanted to see mommy and daddy. She want to see them smiling at her, and she wanted to go to heaven. They would take her there, she realized. They would, and she wanted to see them so badly and tell them about the bad guys, and then how Zuko had come to her rescue. A dark figure appeared out of nowhere and Katara didn't know whether to be happy or angry at Zuko showing up. He didn't want her, so why did he come to rescue her?

Without really having to use any strength at all, Zuko snapped the vampire that was lunging for Katara first without any problem. His head fell back as his body laid limb, giving sign that he was already dead. Zuko threw his body away, angry enough already that they were willing to kill a girl without any home. The other vampire came at Zuko's back, but he was prepared and ducked. He grabbed the vampire by the stomach and heaved his body towards a tree. He would have easily summoned his sword and stab them through the heart, but they were weaklings compare to him, and he killed them easily without breathing a sweat. Katara stood there unblinking, unmoving. And then, without realizing it, she turned and ran.

"Katara!" Zuko called out to her, forcing her to stop, but she didn't listen to his voice and instead ran on.

She was really fast, Zuko could give her that, but he was faster, and within minutes, he caught her up in his arms, feeling her shoulders trembling.

And he was going to kill her, Zuko thought bitterly as he finally witness Katara's hard barrier breaking down, and she started to cry.

What was he suppose to do with her? Zuko thought as he glanced back at the village. He was going to leave her, but the other half of him was hoping she would cry out for him to not leave her, but she didn't. Instead she just stood there and watch him took off. Then he had sense vampire presence, and though as much as he hated to admit it, he feared for her and came running back, only to find her ready to die without a fight.

The vampires, he thought. He could train her, make her strong and during the day she can go out and kill the ones that were disobeying the laws. She could seek out the wrongs; kill the ones who were ruthless. She was strong, he knew that already. After all, he wasn't able to read her mind when she didn't want him too. It made him wonder, just whose daughter she really is, and how she managed to survive it all because she was weird from the rest of the villagers.

With his final decision made, he walked off into the night, carrying the crying little girl in his arms. Her crying ceased as he took her with him to his lair once again, to train.

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**Other Information/Authors Note:** Whatcha guys think? I guess its pretty weird for Jet to be Zuko's brother, eh? I could of turned Azula a guy or... a lesbian but I thought that it didn't fit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

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**Chapter Two**:

_One and Five_

* * *

**China: 1929**

"You're not concentrating hard enough!" Zuko's harsh voice interrupted Katara's train of thoughts.

"Oh shut up!" Katara counter as she waited, crouch low for Zuko to come at her again with his sword.

"Study your opponent, feel what he feels, study his reaction and the way he moves. His eyes will most likely predict which way he will first attack, look at his eyes."

"I can't look at your eyes!" Katara argued. "It is too dark in here, and I can't see a single thing! Why do we not do this out in the daylight like we use to!"

"Because I can not stand the daylight!" Zuko answered, his anger already beginning to show, but he kept it well hidden.

"You did when I was little!" Katara shot back.

"That was because you were not use to the darkness yet."

"Well, I am now, so we go back into the daylight. I can train better that way."

Zuko rolled his eyes. She was getting more and more demanding now that she was older. She was different, way too different from the girl that he had rescued 11 years ago. He'd prefer the quieter side of her rather than the loud and obnoxious side she was giving him now.

"You don't wish to train today, fine." Zuko told her as his sword disappeared into the palm of his hand.

"Yes!" Katara's eyes lit up. "Can we go out then?"

"No." Zuko reply curtly.

"Why not? I want to—"

"You can go, I need to get some sleep."

Katara stared at Zuko's back as he exited out of the big cave they were practicing in. It was his basement though, not a cave, even though it did look like a cave.

She was angry with him. He was supposed to keep her safe. She wanted him to keep her safe! But he knew, as well as she did, that she was able to take care of herself, so he was not worried about her. She wanted him to be worried, damnit! Was she not pretty enough for him?

With that last thought in mind, Katara twirled around and threw her many different daggers, three in total, for now anyway, to a dummy figure behind her. It hit right in the middle, where the heart is. **Right on the spot too**! She thought angrily as she went to pull the daggers off the dummy. If only it was Zuko she was doing it too, she thought as she opened her mind to him.

**I heard that, **Zuko answered in his sleep.

Katara closed her thoughts to him once more as she took her cloak and covered herself from head to toe. It was fine with her that he wanted to sleep and then spend his nights away from her while she was sleeping. But she wasn't. She knew where he went, and he always went to the same girl each night. Katara struggled to contain the jealousy in her. She would love to throw her daggers at the girl's heart.

**Where are you going**? Zuko questioned her in his sleep.

**Go to sleep**, Katara ordered Zuko. She didn't feel like talking to him now.

**Don't get yourself into too much trouble now—**

"Oh just be quiet." She said, loud enough for Zuko to hear, and then she slammed the door shut.

**(-)**

People avoided her wherever she went. Katara didn't know whether she should be thankful for it or not, but after 11 years of Zuko being the only one she could depend on for food and shelter, she didn't want anyone else taking his place. After all, she was so use to being with him, listening to his voice, soft, smooth, alluring, talking to her when she awoke screaming from her nightmares; she wanted him to be near, to hold her body when the night air was cold and there were no blankets to cover her; she wanted… she wanted…

"Ah, hell!" She told herself out loud. She was only 15, quite young to be thinking herself in love with him. It was probably a natural thing, she knew. After all, the fairy tale stories her mother read to her when she was young were still stuck in her brain. She had always wanted a hero, someone who would rescue her one day; someone that she could fall in love with and live happily ever after. And Zuko is that hero, a voice said. Of course he was, but she was still too young yet. Still, it seem her love only grew as she grew. And pretty soon, she'll be way too old, she thought.

With an irritated sigh, she stopped at a small restaurant. Barely a restaurant, like those fancy ones inside a big house, but the ones outside, in the open with only a covering on the top. It was okay, on sunny days, but on windy days, it would probably lack customers. Like a day like today, Katara thought as she seated herself in one of the corners, leaning her back against one of the poles that kept the place up.

"Are you not too young?" her waiter came up, not bothering to take her order, but instead to question her.

"I want some dried meat and a cup of water only," Katara ignored the waiter's question.

"You are, but a kid. Where will you have the money to pay?"

"Do you want money or not? You have food, I have money." Katara demanded.

"Show me."

Katara was already angry enough. She took out two silver pieces, money, and with her middle finger and thumb, shot them towards the desk at the front. It hit two seconds later without making a sound. "There. Now give me my food."

"The money is stuck, it is useless—"

"I will get my food or—" Katara let her hands fall to the dagger at her side. She knew she was being mean, she knew, but she didn't care. If the waiter wanted to test her, then maybe she can relieve some of her stress on him.

"I no like trouble." The waiter's brow shot together. "But I no like to be threatened. I have need of good hands and a girl. You be perfect for the job."

"Hell no." Katara growled.

"Very well, I will beat you black and blue." The waiter nodded, and Katara found herself surrounded by five large man. All of them had no clothes waist up. They were wearing a small armor plate only to cover their naked chest and they were all muscles, not an inch of fat anywhere. Even their necks were bulging with muscles. At the waist of her enemies were merely kids swords, compare to hers. And they probably handle it like kids too, she thought as she grinned. Here was good exercise. Here was a way to get her anger out.

"You guys should know better than to attack a young an innocent girl like me," Katara said as she stood up. She lifted her right hand to her left waist and clasped her hand around the handle of her sword. She drew it out slowly, loving the reaction of her enemies as they saw what she was drawing out. They didn't know she carried a sword. That was good. She always wanted the advantage when in battle, and she was willing to use whatever method available to have the surprise attack first.

"Nice sword you got there, girl, but do you know how to use it?" one of the taller guys smirk at her.

"I know, it's a Kazari tachi, one of the earliest Japanese style swords. I am sure you guys know already, that it is a straight kiri-ha zukuri blade. Almost… a thousand years old, this sword."

"How did you get it?" the waiter look at her, surprised. "It is only for nobles of the imperial court."

"Maybe I am one," Katara shrug her shoulders. "Or maybe I killed one…"

"Give me that sword." One of the five guys surrounding her told her.

"Come and get it then," Katara smiled, adrenaline pumping through her. "Do you want to do it inside here where we could ruin your boss's place? Or shall we go out into a more…open area?"

"Get out! If you guys ruin my place, I will take away your paycheck for five months."

All of them stepped outside with Katara following, already judging the outcome of the battle. They were all really strong, but compare to a vampire's strength, they were weaklings, and Katara had beaten a lot of good vampires in her time with just her human strength alone, well…maybe a little help now and then from Zuko when she was fighting the more older ones, but still, she beat them nevertheless.

They went out, about a mile from the restaurant with Katara in the lead. She didn't have to turn around to see if they were going to attack her. She would have heard their footsteps no matter how quiet they were. They were pretty honorable guys, she thought as she grinned. It was going to be fun killing them. She continued on her way until they reached a wide space with barely any trees, just sand and rocks.

"You should pray first before we began," one guy told her.

"I think you guys need to be the ones praying," Katara told them without looking at them. She was looking around, concentrating on the area and whether there was any people nearby and also how much damage her attacks could cause.

The five large men got into their position; surrounding her while Katara only shook her head.

"What? You don't wish to fight anymore?" one guy announced at her shaking head.

"No, I was just shaking because you guys are dummies."

"What?" One guy stepped forward.

"That is right," Katara grinned as she rushed forward, her first attack taking the guy by surprised. She had the strength of ten men and she knew it. For some reason, she didn't want to kill the men. Her only choice then, was to knock them out cold. She knew just the right place to hit them. "Watch out, Pipsqueak!" One of the five guys shouted at their friend, but Katara was quick and fast and she hit Pipsqueak's neck, one of the nerve points. Pipsqueak fell to the ground immediately.

"Pipsqueak?" One guy rushed forward without realizing it and Katara hit him right in the shoulder near his chest, another nerve point she learned from Zuko. The guy didn't faint, but Katara wasn't planning on having him fainted. She planned on him freeze instead, and freeze he did.

"Hey!" The others rushed at her and she put her sword, the Kazari tachi, away and decided to bruise their egos instead. They were strong men, but their nerve points were like any other humans were and so they were easy to freeze.

Before the fun began, it was over and Katara was standing in front of them with four guys standing, unable to move at all.

"What did you do to us?" one guy shouted.

"For fighters, you don't seem to comprehend what happened," Katara told them.

"We are only fighters, not some…yoga people."

"Yes, I agree," Katara smiled. "That is why you should learn other different types of fighting skills to improve yours. You guys will be unable to move for about two days. If you are strong, maybe one day, but if you are weak, only two days the least," she thought out loud, "of course, unless your friend, Pipsqueak wakes up and knows where to hit."

"Kid, unfreeze us immediately!"

"We underestimated her, boss," one guy grumbled.

"Shut up, we didn't." the boss yelled back.

"gào cí le!" Katara saluted them as she jumped into the sky. "Have fun."

"Damnit, kid, get back here!" the boss shouted, unable to move at all.

"We're stuck…" the boss' comrades groaned.

"Shut up," the boss commanded. "We better not get this out. The Famous Five defeated by a mere kid, do you know what that will do to our reputation!"

"Yup, and a mere kid is a girl too."

"Yeah boss, we do know," one guy muttered.

"What would our original boss say?"

"We'll probably get fired."

"Good, I was damn tired of his ordering about anyway."

And then the four burst out laughing.

**(-)**

**Where have you been**?

Katara ignored the voice in her head and instead went to her bedroom.

I ask you, where have you been? "None of your business," Katara muttered to herself.

**Katara!**

Katara wince, but didn't answer. She blocked him from her mind immediately. Let him come to her tonight, she thought.

She had been wandering for most of the day after she had defeated the five men at the restaurant. She return to the restaurant and got her money back before being seen, and then she took off, going off to another place where it was more expensive, but no one would bother her there.

Surprisingly, everyone ignored her and she was damn glad of that. If anyone else had come up to her, she would have killed him or her immediately before an explanation was given. She was irritated enough that Zuko hadn't once tried to contact her, and so she had shut off her mind to him immediately when he didn't contact her. She left it that way until she came back to his home, his cave. She had hoped that it would be hers one day, but that was unlikely to happen. Zuko didn't care about no one but himself, and maybe that wench he visited nearly every night for nourishment. She hated to admit it, but she was damn jealous of that wench, whoever she was.

Now she was tired as heck, and night was coming fast. She didn't want to go vampire hunting tonight. She fell asleep before the sun set.

**(-)**

Zuko awoke just as the sun disappeared behind the mountain and the hunger hit him full force. He managed to contain it, hold it inside. But he knew it was useless. The monster he had tried so long to contain was struggling to appear, and he didn't know how to keep it in the darkness where it belongs. Ever since Katara had come to live in his house, he had felt the beast stir more than once. It was demanding her blood and no matter what, Zuko couldn't bring himself to take hers. She was like a sister to him, at least, he hoped he thought of her as a sister. Lately, he had been thinking of her as someone else rather than a sister, and it disgusted him because he wasn't supposed to be thinking of her like that.

He waited for a full ten minutes, breathing deeply, in out, in out. The beast stirred and moved, but other than that, he managed to control it this time, and he hope, for a while longer until he could go back to the secluded mountains. He shouldn't have gotten out so soon. The beast might have disappeared while he was in the mountains, but it was probably just waiting until the time came. A time like this…

Katara cried out in her sleep.

Zuko lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. She had had nightmares like this, but she wasn't even aware of them. He had no idea when the nightmares started since he had always been gone away at night sometimes so the first time he came home, he had thought she was in trouble. He had ran and found her on the floor, but she was struggling in her dream and didn't even noticed it. He had picked her up and put her on the bed, but she, being only eleven years old, had clung to him like a scared child, and she had been scared too. Something in her dream scared her, and though he had the power to go into dreams to see what it was, she always locked her dreams so whenever he tried, he had been unable to enter it.

"No! Not mama!"

Zuko didn't want to hear her. He didn't want to be affected by it. He thought he had no feeling, no heart. He was mistaken. Ever since she had turned fifteen, and that was quite some time back, he had started noticing her in a different way and he hated it. He had tried to distant the distance between them, but she was always there, smiling at him and giving him her attitude. He had pretended not to be affected by it, but by god, it was getting harder to pretend each day.

She cried out in her sleep again and Zuko clenched his fists tightly together. He could not, would not, go to her. He had been going there most of the night when he found out she had been having nightmares and have been holding her. Once immediately then, her nightmares stopped and she fell asleep, but now, now that he wasn't going in there because last time he had almost, ALMOST, kissed her while he was in there. He had gotten out of the room immediately because he didn't want to kiss her like that and it had been very tempting.

"Not him! No!"

Zuko tried, he really did. He closed his eyes and willed himself, but he found himself blocked. He had no idea why she kept blocking him even in sleep. She had nothing to fear, and he wanted to help her, damnit, though he didn't know why and will never want to know the reason why. He didn't even know if she was blocking him consciously or unconsciously.

She stopped her struggling, and Zuko knew the struggling was over for tonight. He didn't want to wake her up. They were supposed to go hunting, but he might as well let her rest. After all, he had pushed her too hard over these past few weeks fighting and telling her to master her skills. She was good enough already, better than most he had seen, but still, though he was not willing to admit it even to himself, he wanted her safe at all times. Especially when he was not around to protect her.

He might as well find someone to feed upon, he thought as he dissolved, disappearing, camouflaging himself along with the darkness. He knew exactly where that was though, and lately, it had become harder to go to that place because of the one in his home. His blood was crying for hers, demanding hers only, and he had no idea if after he had drank it, he will be satiated and forget about her, or whether he will always be unsatisfied once he had tasted her blood. Nevertheless, he wasn't willing to risk it.

Katara knew he left the house already when her eyes opened. She didn't hear a Zukond, and she knew at this time, where he was going to be and for how long. He had said they were going to hunt tonight, didn't he? Why didn't he come wake her up then? Damn him! She thought angrily. It was all right though. If that damn bastard wanted to be in the arms of another lady, fine with her! Why should she care? She was only a fifteen-year-old kid who had no idea how harsh reality is.

She donned herself in her favorite black clothes and fastened her Kazari tachi to her waist along with the sheath. Then on the other side of her waist and to the back, she put in three small size daggers. This was enough protection for tonight. She wasn't going out to hunt food, so she decided not to bring along her bow and arrow. Besides, it would probably just slow her down.

She had gone only for ten minutes when she knew she was being followed. She grinned, already anticipating the next battle with whomever it was that was following her. She whistled, pretended she didn't notice anything and turned the corner, making sure she stayed in their sight. She didn't want to lose them. She was pretty sure it was them because she heard footsteps, two behind her and two coming towards her rear. Another one in front of her, thinking of surprising her, Katara's grinned widened, she might as well give them a show, she thought.

She came to a clearing, she could see real well at night even though she wasn't one of the vampires. It was part of Zuko's fault too, that she could see really well. Zuko had taken her to a forest while she was young and had prevented her from escaping out of the forest. She had been forced to stay in that forest for a whole month, practicing her eyes in the dark. At first she was afraid. She had never been away from Zuko that long, but she had gotten use to it after a couple of weeks. She had learned how to cook on her own, how to make her own fire and many other survival skills as well as seeing and hearing really well. That was how she became an independent person, and ever since then, she hadn't been clinging to Zuko's like before.

She had been too busy remembering that she didn't see the first attack made on her. With a curse at herself, she twisted away and managed to avoid being cut with a sword, but her cheek didn't, and she wince as she felt blood on the left side of her cheek.

"Getting careless?" It was Zuko's voice, but she couldn't see anything.

"No," She was sure it was not Zuko because Zuko would never harm her. He wouldn't dare cut her, or even wound her like now. He had a lot of chances during any one of their practice sessions, but he always held back, always made certain to avoid cutting her. So this possibly couldn't be Zuko, but the voice was exactly like his…

He came at her again, and she saw his shadow. Without another thought, she threw one of her daggers towards the shadow and hid behind a tree, the shadows helping her blend in.

"You have a pretty good vision for a mere human." Zuko's voice rang out loud and clear in the night.

Katara frowned. She recognized that voice from somewhere, but where? It was almost as similar as Zuko's voice, except a little lower and deeper. Where could she have heard it before? Was it one of the vampires she fought in the past?

"But it is no use hiding, I can see your every move," the voice was in a bare whisper now, but she could hear. "You are not frightened, amazing, so my twin brother did really well huh?"

Twin brother? God, why can't she remember? Dammit! Where was the voice from again? Her heart started to beat faster, warning her that this was one of the old and ancient vampires, the stronger kind.

"That is right, be afraid," the voice chuckled. "Be very afraid of me, Katara, because I have waited long enough for you, and my patience is almost to an end, but you still are not ready to become mine yet."

Katara searched the surrounding area around her. Where the hell was he? Who the hell was he and what the hell does he want?

"I do not know what you are talking about," Katara answered loud and clear, betraying her true emotions, "but I do know that you are going to die once I get my hands on you."

"Once you get your hands on me, you will not be killing me," the voice chuckled again. "So my twin brother is not here eh?"

Katara frowned. Dammit, she couldn't sense his energy, his presence was somewhere to her left, but she wasn't sure because the evil surrounding him was strong. This was a boss, or something, because Katara will never be able to defeat him without Zuko, but he wasn't around, but she could give it a try, and if she died trying, good, maybe it'll give that cold-hearted Zuko something to think about!

"Come on if you dare!" Katara spat out.

"Watch out!"

Katara didn't have any time to react before she was pushed out of the way and fell to the ground. She heard a noise, like a knife piercing through skin.

"Pipsqueak!"

Katara felt strong arms grab her as she stood up, and then she was forced behind another set of trees.

"Dammit, you stupid boy!"

Before Katara could speak, someone pulled her hand and she started running so that her hand won't be pulled away from her. "You were supposed to watch him, Duke!"

"How was I to know he would do something stupid like that!"

"Pipsqueak?" Katara's eyes widened. "Pipsqueak? It is not you people again, is it?"

"So we meet again, kid."

"Boss, he is coming."

"Shit," the boss swore. "Fine, Longshot, Smellerbee, you two distract him."

"You can not defeat him!" Katara tried to stop them, but they were gone before she could say anymore.

"Listen, kid, we have got an injured boy here because of you so you should just shut up and be thankful."

"I did not ask to be rescued!" Katara replied indignantly.

The boss didn't say anything.

"Listen," Katara jerked her hand free from one of the guys. "That…thing back there is not human. Do you understand me? If you do not call them back, they will die and you will be the one at fault here."

"Quiet!" The boss barked. "Duke, see to Pipsqueak's wounds. Now!"

"Yes, boss!"

They stopped at the end of the forest, near the creek, close towards Zuko's hideout home cave.

"Are you listening to me?" Katara demanded after a moment of silence from the boss and some noise from Duke and Pipsqueak.

"He okay?" the boss turned to Duke.

"Yeah," Duke wiped his forehead with his arms. "He's—he got cut real bad on the arm—too much blood, I can not seem to stop it—he will get a fever, I can tell you that."

"Well, stop the bleeding, you are a doctor!"

"You are a doctor and you do not know how to stop a wound?" Katara turned to Duke.

"I—I" he swipe his forehead again. "I—"

"He is a warrior and a doctor," the boss muttered. "And he hates the sight of blood, but he has good healing hands."

"We need to find a hiding place!" Katara turned back to the boss. "I can not call you boss!"

"Just call me Kiet."

"Kiet, did you hear me back there? That thing is not human!"

"We are outlaws, we are warriors, we know!" Kiet told her. "Longshot and Smellerbee are both fully equipped with the knowledge that that…thing is not human! That…thing is a vampire!"

"He is shaking now…" Duke's breath quickened.

Comforted by the thought that they knew they weren't dealing with just any human, Katara went to the boy. "He does not look like a boy to me."

"He is nineteen, that is a boy to us. We are almost thirty-five years old." Kiet told her.

"Oh," Katara frowned. "Will Longshot and Smellerbee find us if we leave?"

"Yes," Kiet said impatiently. "I picked Longshot and Smellerbee to distract the vampire because they both are very good trackers and they both are very good at escaping."

"All right," Katara picked up Pipsqueak without slowing down at all. "There is a cave nearby, similar to a house. If we could get inside, it will be hard for a vampire to get in. The defenses there are real good."

"How would you know?" Kiet turned to her now. "How can we trust you?"

Katara blew her bangs out of her eyes, "Please! We are wasting time here! I could have killed you five earlier really easily, but I did not, did that not tell you something?"

Kiet nodded, and let Katara lead them.

It didn't take long for Katara to reach Zuko's place, though Katara feared it was too late for the kid Pipsqueak to live. He was already shaken badly from the wound and if he didn't die, the lost of blood will cause him his death. If she could get him inside, she might be able to save him, but dammit, his chances weren't looking real good.

"Close the damn door and watch it closely!" Katara demanded harshly. "Though he will not be able to breach it, watch it in case your two friends come!"

"Where are you taking him?" Duke demanded. "You do not know—"

"I am a healer!" Katara didn't even bother to glance at him as she opened one of the connecting doors. "I know what to do to an injured man."

"Good." Kiet, the boss, nodded and Duke let her go.

Katara stopped before going into the room and turned around to face the two. "I might not be able to save him, he is convulsing too much, and he has lost too much blood. I will try my best, but I can not guarantee it."

They both turn to look at her. "What are his chances?"

"30 percent chance," Katara knew, she didn't have to check. She could feel his heart beat slowing down, his breathing slowing as well.

"Try your best," Kiet said, then turned back to look at the door without saying another word.

Duke nodded and then turned his back on her.

Katara closed the door and went right to work. Zuko came home a little after midnight.

He smelled blood and the scent of human on his ground and the beast inside him immediately snarled savagely to life. This was his home, no one would dare come to this place, but these humans did. He would make them pay! He caught another scent, a familiar one, and managed to rein the beast inside for her sake. Katara was inside, somewhere. The humans might have captured her.

**Katara**?

He tried to reach her, but she wouldn't answer. Damn her! He cursed. She had no right to cut him off like this! Wasn't her life in danger?

**Katara! Answer me!**

No answer.

He took a deep breath because he was already breathing fast, from fear? He didn't know, but he was afraid for her safety. The beast inside clawed at him, demanding to be let out, but he held on tight. Not now, he would not release him. He had controlled him for centuries, why suddenly when Katara might be in danger, was it wanting to be let out now?

"Someone is out there," Zuko heard a whisper.

"What do we do boss?"

"I do not know, it might be him, we hit him good to keep him occupied a while and then ran, but we had no idea how much damage we caused and how long it will take him to recuperate."

"She still inside?"

"Yeah, been in there for almost five hours now."

Katara, Zuko thought, they must be talking about Katara.

"Dammit, stupid Pipsqueak. Why the hell did he do that?"

No one answered.

Zuko appeared out in the moonlight where they could see him. "Let me in."

"Who are you?" All four of the men were suddenly alert, stiff, and ready for combat.

"I am a friend of Katara, let me in." Zuko said again. He would surrender quietly and kill them when they weren't looking, after all, they were just humans. They were nothing compared to him, and Katara! She could have defeated these humans easily, why didn't she?

"It Zukonds like the same voice."

"Of the attacker?"

"Yes boss. He talked enough for me to recognize his voice."

"Maybe he is trying to trick us?"

Zuko immediately stiffened as he listened to the conversation. It was said in a whisper, but he could still hear, after all, he wasn't human was he? He was a vampil, master of his kind because he could stay out in the daylight for more than a day and because he was much more stronger. He was one of the ancient Vampils, the Master of his kind, all right, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill anything or anyone who threatened what he cared about. But there was one similar to him, only, he wasn't a vampil, but a vampire, one who couldn't stay out in the daylight, and he had the same voice as him.

"Are you saying someone that Zukonded exactly like me came here today?" Zuko asked.

The four hesitated.

"Tell me!"

"You attacked us, so don't be pretending you don't know!"

Zuko was immediately inside, past the door to his home. "What did you say?"

"Shit!" One guy, taller and more muscular than the group swore. "Get ready everyone!"

"How the hell did you get in? Did Katara not say this house had a very good defense?"

"Where is she?" Zuko demanded angrily at the thought of anything happening to her.

"We're not giving her to you!" One guy said, already in his fighting posture.

"I do not want to fight," Zuko clenched his hands into a fist and growled dangerously because he was already burning to kill them. "Where is she? Is she safe?"

Two of them frowned.

"Yes, she is safe," the tall one spoke up. "She has been working on one of our men who got attacked. You are not the one who attacked her are you?"

"No," Zuko's stomach twisted at the thought of attacking her. Of course not! He would never to her harm! She had come to mean a lot to him, and he would rather die than hurt her!

"Yeah, you are different from the other one," the one with the dark hair spoke up. "I sense no evil in him, just…nothing."

Everyone turned to stare at him.

"You are one of them aren't you?"

Zuko didn't answer though, and went straight to the door where Katara was. He had to see for himself what his damn twin brother had done to Katara. Dammit, he didn't think his twin would attack his soon. He had said he was coming for her when she was one eight so why did he attack now when she was one and five!

**(-)**

"No!" Katara whispered as he put another washcloth on his head. "You will not die you hear me? You will not die!"

She had been constantly washing him on and off with cold water. His fever had risen and he had shaken violently. Katara had tried her best to calm him down with her voice and when he finally did manage to calm down, his fever had gone down, but he started shaking with a chill. She had wrapped him up with a blanket, and then his fever had gone up.

"I will die."

Katara's eyes widened and she stopped what she was doing to look at the Pipsqueak, who was now wide-awake. "Pipsqueak!"

"You are okay, good." He smiled at her.

"Why?" she asked because it was the only thing she could think of.

"Because you were exactly like my sister. You reminded me of my sister." Pipsqueak closed his eyes and opened them again. "Alias was a good fighter with a smart tongue," he grinned, making him look younger. "But she was killed," his eyes hardened as he saw it again and again through his mind, "by a damn vampire. I swore, I would find that vampire and kill him myself…"

Katara watched as he struggled to stay awake. "You will live…" she told him fiercely.

"My family, all gone," he said tiredly as he gave up the struggle to live. "I will be with them."

"No!" Katara angrily pounded his chest. "No! Live, dammit!"

His arms came up to hold her hands. "Ouch!" He chuckled weakly. "That hurts, Alias."

He was hallucinating, but Katara didn't care. She had to do something to make him live! "Do not go brother."

"Alias?"

"Live!" Katara demanded him. "Live for me. I am here, just open your eyes."

"I need to sleep," his hand came up to her head and stayed there. "Big brother needs to rest, and the he will play with you."

"Yes," Katara smiled. "Rest, then come back."

"I will, I promise," he gave her his charming smile and finally closed his eyes.

Katara went right back to work because his fever had gone down a little bit now.

She was still working when the door slam open, putting her out of her trance. She didn't even bother to glance up to see who it was, she just demanded that more cold water be brought and another set of blankets.

"Katara?"

She heard the soft whisper and glance up quickly to see Zuko standing there. She forced a smile. "Welcome back."

"Katara are you okay?" He was by her side immediately, kneeling in front of her, looking at her to see if there were any bruises, and saw the dry blood on her cheek. She hadn't tended to it, she had forgotten about it. "Dammit, Katara, do you know how serious a cut can get?" He demanded harshly as he put his palm on her cut cheek.

"I will be fine." Katara said tiredly. Other than the cut, she was just tired.

Zuko chanted in the ancient language of the vampires, a healing spell, and Katara flinched, but the cut was already healing itself, removing away the dead skin and the dry blood. "Who attacked you?" Zuko asked.

"I do not want to talk about it," Katara was already putting a new washcloth on Pipsqueak's face. He was quiet now, not murmuring nonsense about his family being attack anymore. "I have to save him."

Zuko finally noticed the young man by her side. He was deathly pale and was burning with fever.

"Why are you saving him?" Zuko questioned as he stood up.

"He saved my life," Katara said softly. "I wasn't paying attention, and he pushed me out of the way before the sword could cut me."

"Dammit," Zuko cursed again. "Did I not teach you better than that? What did I tell you about being alert?"

"It was dark and I was not paying attention!" Katara argued.

"No matter," Zuko dropped the subject and moved around to sit across from Katara. "Go to bed, I will handle it from here."

"No!" Katara said stubbornly.

"Go to bed!" Zuko demanded.

"No!" Katara replied. "I am staying here!"

Zuko closed his eyes and muttered something, and when he opened them, Katara was gone. At least there was an advantage at being a vampil no matter how much he hated being one, he thought with an ironic smile. Katara had been sent to her room by his ancient magic, she wouldn't do what he said, so this was the only way. His grin grew even wider because she would be really furious with him when she awoke. He had also put in a little sleeping spell in it.

"Let's see if I could save you." Zuko told him.

"Too late."

The voice surprised Zuko. "You are awake?"

"Yes," he answered. "You have the same voice…as the one who killed…my family."

Zuko watched him closely. "Am I the one that killed your family?"

"No," he shook his head. "You are not. You're not full of evil, like the other one…"

"Who attacked you?" Zuko questioned.

"Do not know," Pipsqueak shook his head. "All I know is…his name…is Jet…killed my family, and he tried to…to…"

Zuko watched as he struggled to breath.

"To kill her…" he finished.

"I owe you one," Zuko said quietly, the first gratitude he felt in years. "Thank you for saving her…"

"Just…keep her safe," Pipsqueak closed his eyes. "My last wish, keep her safe for me, if not for you." He took a deep breath, let it out, and then he never took another.

Zuko stood up and promised him silently: I will keep her safe. Go in peace.

**(-)**

The Famous Five felt their member died, his last intake of breath and from then on, they were known as the Famous Four. They mourned silently for they were warriors, and each had a different method of mourning. The four of them all disappeared the next day, each going their own way.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:** Sorry my computer spazzed and center aligned everything, that was not my intention. x_x

But thanks to all the people that reviewed! They made me all giggly inside. x3 And how do you guys like Jet's friends, in the show that is, being apart of this? I'm not sure how Aang, Sokka, and Toph are gonna pop in there but I'm trying. And yes, Sokka will be Katara's brother but I am thinking of a way to explain his absence. BRAIN POWA!

Also, if you see anything that says Zuk**ond **here is the explanation: When she said "He Zukond" that mean that he mentally talked to her just like Zuko. Just to clear up some confusion, y'know. x3

And AnnaAza, I think your doing a good job with your story! I'm actually itching for the next chapter. I had to say it here because my computer is being retarded and won't let me review anything. My pops is gonna fix it though... Finally. Anyway, sayonara my chickadees!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

* * *

**Chapter Three**:

_Surprise Attack!_

* * *

Katara angrily opened her eyes and stood up. She should have known Zuko was going to do this, damn him! He had no right to use his powers on her like that. She should have seen it coming, could have blocked it, but she was too upset. She didn't even feel the nagging feeling in her brain until she was already falling onto her bed, and even when she tried to stand up, her brain had demanded that she sleep. She had obeyed because she was too tired to resist.

**Katara!**

It was Zuko. Katara wanted to block him from her mind, but he wouldn't let her.

**No, come outside.**

She yawned and frowned. Outside? What did he want with her outside?

**Come out and I will show you.**

She shook her head even as she put on her shoes. She had no idea when they had dropped, or was that part of Zuko's powers too?

**I do not think so**, Katara answered him back, **you told me never to go outside no matter what. Remember? **

**Unless I am out here, now come.**

"Give me a good reason." Katara asked out loud, knowing he could her hear.

**Because I love you. **

Katara stopped dead in her track. **What did you say?** Did he really say what she heard or was that just another one of Zuko's trick that caused her to go to sleep?

**No trick, love, **he told her tenderly. **Come out and I will show you. Come out so I can give you the kiss I wanted and burn for so long.** Katara's heart quickened, flipped. He was admitting it, after tonight, he was admitting it. She anxiously put on her other shoe and muttered: "Took you long enough to realize that, you dummy."

He chuckled silently in her head and Katara was thankful she was sitting on the bed or else her legs would have melted. She had never heard him chuckled before, in fact, he had never laughed nor joke with her, talked with her before unless the need arise.

**What changed your mind? **

She questioned as she opened the door, not even bothering to hide the loud noises she made. After all, who would hear her anyway when Zuko was outside and no one was inside the house but her?

**Tonight, **he answered, **I am sorry I was not there to protect you tonight. **

"Serves you right for feeling guilty," she muttered anxiously.

**I know. **

Katara smiled, already forgetting her anger. He had admitted it; she had waited long enough. If she had known that this was going to change everything, she would have done that a long time ago.

She stopped and took a deep breath before opening the door outside. A sense of dread came over her. There was something wrong, but she didn't care. Zuko had admitted that he loved her, and she was too happy to care for anything else. She smiled and opened the door.

**I am in the forest; follow my voice. **

"Are you trying to be romantic here?" Katara grinned. "Because if you are, it is working."

**Of course, love. Come and let me show you how much I love you. **

Katara followed his voice.

(-)

Zuko groaned. God, what was that noise? He had been sleeping until something woke him up. He had heard voices, probably Katara muttering to herself at how angry she was, he thought and then grinned. She probably went down there for something to eat. He was dead tired. After taking Terri away to bury him, he had come home and found the four men leaving. He didn't try to stop them though, after all, it was their life. Besides, he wanted nothing to do with them.

He closed his eyes for a minute, and then he stood up, hearing something: a distinct ringing in his ear and a bad feeling in his gut. He heard no more noise, no doors opening and closing.

**Katara!**

He tried to contact her, but she was blocking him, or she was communicating with someone else.

**Katara! Answer me you fool!**

Still no answer.

Zuko got out of bed and went to check on her room, knowing already that she wouldn't be there.

"Shit," he swore. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

(-)

"I'm getting really sick and tired of this game." Katara grumbled as she seated herself on a log. "I don't like this."

**You are almost there. **

"Almost isn't good enough. If you don't show yourself now, I'm going back." Katara stood up.

**You want me to show myself? **

"Of course!"

**All right, my dear. **

The voice changed.

This time the feeling of dread that she had earlier came back to her and it wouldn't disappear. Katara's breathe and heart quickened in fear. Something was wrong here, definitely wrong here.

**Run!**

Something, or someone shouted at her from somewhere in her mind and she did as instructed. She turned and ran.

"Going somewhere?"

Katara bumped into a hard, solid chest and stumbled backward.

"Poor dear, are you alright?"

Katara eyes widened as she saw a totally different face from Zuko. His hair wasn't black, it was silver and his eyes weren't gold like Zuko's, but black and red, evil. He was wearing a long cloak hanging from his shoulders. "You are not Zuko!"

"Of course not, why would I be?"

"But you Zukonded—your voice…" she trailed off.

"You have forgotten me," he shook his head at her. "Bad girl, did Zuko put a spell on you to forget?"

"I do not know what you are talking about!" Katara's hand went to her waist where she always had a set of small daggers in handy.

"Ah, ah, ah," he shook his finger at her as he grinned wickedly at her. "I would not do that if I were you, little girl."

"I am not," Katara pulled out two daggers and threw it at him. "a little girl!" She expected the daggers to kill him, or at least wound him, but instead, he caught the knife with his right hand. Both of them.

She moved back, wide eyes.

"I warned you did I not?" he took a step forward. "Now you are going to pay for trying to harm me. Just a little, it will not hurt."

Katara took another step backwards.

He grinned as he suddenly stopped. "Why do I not make you come to me instead?"

Katara glared at him, she hated it when Zuko made her do things she didn't want to do, but it was Zuko and she didn't mind, but another vampire telling her to do something, she would never allow!

She felt the nagging feeling in her mind, then something soft and soothing.

**Don't listen to it!**

Katara frowned and shook her head. Two voices at once, which one was which?

"You have grown weaker," the vampire told her. "I am glad. I cannot seem to breach that mind of yours when you were small, but now I can, this is a good improvement," he chuckled. "My twin brother did really well with you."

Twin brother? Katara thought before she felt herself fall into nothing, just pitch black.

(-)

Jet smiled, finally. She had grown weaker, or maybe she just didn't want to resist him, he didn't know, but this was good, very good. He would be able to have her before her one eight birthday.

**Come.**

He commanded her, and she obeyed, her eyes showed nothing, no emotion whatsoever because she was in a trance, a trance that only he could awaken her from.

She stopped when she was in front of him. She didn't move, didn't flinch as he walked around her, surveying her. She was a little bit young, but she would grow in time. Perhaps, he should let her grow past one and eight, then make her his bride, he thought. Her breasts were growing well, but they weren't big yet and her waist was small. They too, would grow in time. She was perfect, just like her mother. She would even make a better wife than her mother for she was pure, a pure virgin. He always loved the pure ones.

He stopped behind her, and leaned down until his lips were brushing her ear. "What do you think? Do you want to become my bride of the night?"

She didn't answer, she wasn't supposed to.

He smiled and went lower, towards her neck where he saw the blood, the veins, her heart, everything. His fangs lengthened, and he touched the tip of each with his tongue, drawing his own blood. They were sharp, perfect. He opened his mouth, covered her slender white neck with it—

"Jet!"

Jet didn't move his head, but his eyes looked up. "Ah," he smiled, still leaning over Katara's neck. "It is nice of you to come and join the fun, brother."

"You have not changed at all, have you," Zuko stated as he saw the emotionless expression on Katara's face and knew she was under his spell.

"Of course I have, I have changed for the worst," Jet raised his head and slowly caressed her neck with his hand. "I am surprised you have not bitten her yet, brother. Have you really become THAT human?"

Zuko didn't answer, but he glanced at Jet's finger, which was slowly tracing a circle on her neck, where he was about to bite.

Jet noticed where his eyes had strayed and grinned. "She is under my spell, you know? No one can wake her up."

Zuko still didn't answer.

"Quiet as usual," Jet mockingly sigh.

"You said you would not come for her until she was one eight." Zuko told him, no emotion whatsoever in his voice.

"I did, did I not?" Jet stopped tracing circles and instead covered her neck with his right hand, as if he was about to suffocate her. "But you see, I could not resist to see how my twin was doing with her and how she was growing."

When Zuko didn't answer, Jet continued: "You changed her, did you not? Made her forget me and the memory of that night?"

"I did no such thing. She choose to forget it herself" Zuko replied; he had helped her by holding her through the night so that she could sleep better, and she did. After awhile, she no longer had nightmares, and then she forgot completely.

"Tell me something," Jet's hand squeezed her throat for about a minute. "Why did you not kill her?"

Zuko didn't answer him, didn't have too.

Jet squeezed harder. "Not answering?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed, the only emotion he showed as he saw Jet's hand tightening, and then Katara started to gasp for breath.

"You will not kill her," Zuko didn't dare move, didn't dare squeeze his hand because any outward emotion, any movement at all, would be used against him. He had to pretend that he didn't care about her.

"So you do not care for her then?" Jet didn't want to bruise her tender throat and so he let go. "Funny for this girl seems to care for you, a lot."

"Is that how you lured her out here?" Zuko continued to speak calmly, "Pretending it was me?"

"Of course. If you have not noticed, she had her eyes on you for a very, very long time." Jet knew Zuko would be upset at that. " I knew you would not take her, younger brother," he sneered at Zuko. "You were always the honorable one, the sensible one."

"Thank you." Zuko said, completely at ease now that he had confirmed that Jet wouldn't kill her.

That enrage Jet even more, and he did the only thing he could think of to get Zuko to react, he slowly trace Katara's scar that wasn't quite healed yet on her left cheek with a dagger that had suddenly appeared in his hand. "Recognize this?"

It was the dagger that Katara had thrown at Jet earlier.

Katara didn't even wince. She was way beyond pain now, in a deep trance. She didn't feel the blood running down her left cheek, dripping onto her neck. Her eyes were still emotionless, showing no pain or fear. She was like a zombie, and nothing can bring her back, nothing except Jet, and maybe herself if she was strong enough to fight the trance, but she was still weak from yesterday's attack, and now he was attacking again.

Zuko managed not to show anything at all, even his heartbeat was normal because Jet would be able to see and hear his heartbeat, his fear by the slowness and quickness of his heart, but his mind was about ready to kill Jet. He used the only method available since he wasn't close enough to stop the bleeding. "She will die of a loss of blood." He stated as a matter of fact, his voice cold, emotionless, unfeeling, his eyes the same.

"Damn you!" Jet cursed as he stopped the blood and made the wound disappear as he traced it with his thumb.

"Impressive," Zuko said mockingly this time. "You have learned how to heal over the years, younger brother."

"And much more," Jet snarled back, angry because he didn't want to kill her.

"And who taught you? Was it that lady that turned you into one?"

"No," Jet's snarl turned into an evil grin. "I killed her."

Zuko didn't say anything, but his mind was whirling. Jet was no longer the Jet he knew. This was what he was afraid of that was why he had refused Jet's request, but damn Jet. He was always looking for ways to be better than his twin brother, and so he had brought this upon himself. If Jet's will have been strong and his goodness even stronger, Zuko would have changed him, but he wasn't; Jet was always too reckless, too eager, and too evil. Zuko had feared for him, and has tried to protect him, his only twin brother because he cared for him, but he didn't want protecting. Instead, Jet had wanted to be better than Zuko, and so Jet was now too evil and it was Zuko's job, as a Master Vampil, to kill him.

"You have broken the law more than once, brother," Zuko told him. "You have killed one of our kind and those that are not of our kind. So it is my responsibility now, to kill you."

"Then why did you not kill me earlier?" Jet's grin widened. "When I was weak? Now I am stronger. It will take much more to kill me now."

"You are strong, but still not as strong as a vampil." Zuko finally smiled, a cold ruthless smile. "Vampires cannot live up to Vampils, brother, have you forgotten?"

"You think I have?" Jet shot back. "I will kill you."

Zuko smiled, the first true emotion he let out. "Then come," he opened his arms wide, as if allowing him. "Strike me. We will see how good your damage is."

Jet forgot about Katara, forget about everything else as he took a step towards Zuko, then another, and another, while his eyes burned red. He had waited for a long, long time to kill him, to prove to himself that he was stronger and will always be stronger than Zuko. For years, he had tried to make his parents proud of him, but always, they look for flaws in him, never the good in him. Well, that was over. He had killed them, once he had been turned into one and had enjoyed the fear in their eyes, the way they begged him to let them go.

Zuko didn't budge, didn't move, and determined to let him have the first strike to prove his brother that he was still stronger, but a whimper startled the both of them.

"No!" Katara's strangle cry surprised the both of them. "Not…Zuko."

Jet's eyes narrowed dangerously at Katara. He had put her in a trance. A deep, dark one that no one could awaken from unless he was killed, but this girl…this weakling managed to almost break through the trance?

Katara blinked, her vision blurred, but only for another second, and then she saw them: Zuko and the one who had put her in the trance. They were about to face each other; she had heard everything even while in the deep trance she was in. She had forgotten about Jet, didn't even recognize him because it had been so long and she was only a little kid, but now, the memories came flooding back. The death of her father, the kidnapping of her mother, her uncle, and then the village being brunt, all those memories too horrid for a young girl to remember came back, and Katara could only stare.

"Damn you!" Jet roared angrily as he turned back to Zuko.

"No!" Katara moved a hand, and then another. "Leave him alone!"

Jet turned back, saw her movements, and the red in his eyes turned even redder. "No! You were in a trance!" He screamed this time, anger pure and deadly in his voice, and changed his movements from going after to Zuko to turning back to Katara.

"Get the hell out of here!" Zuko shouted, swearing for the first time that Katara had heard him and was too surprised at the show of emotion to move. Zuko, swearing? That was something new. She had never heard him swear before, even out of anger, and even when she had gotten to his nerves more than he had gotten to himself.

**Katara!**

The voice barked into her head and Katara turned and ran, blindly into the forest.

It was too late, Jet got to her before Zuko could have gotten to Jet even though Zuko was a lot faster than Jet.

"This time," Jet swore harshly, breathing hard, as if starved for air, "this time you WILL be mine!"

Jet bent his head, his arms still lock around Katara just as Zuko came running towards him, but the blast of the barrier in front of Zuko blew him back, and Zuko flew backward, hitting his back roughly against a tree.

Katara gave a startled gasp as Jet's fangs pierced through her skin to drink her blood. Her arms came around him automatically; her eyes flutter and then closed as Zuko's face disappeared before her very eyes.

"Damn." Zuko shook his head to clear his brain. He hadn't counted that Jet was this strong already. He was stronger than most already. Zuko had forgotten also, how quick Jet killed. He had underestimated Jet. He wouldn't do that again, he vowed.

His mind was still groggy, but functional. There was nothing broken, no broken arms, no legs twisted, but he was bleeding. Zuko stood up, his head bleeding, his vision blurred and fixed just as he saw Jet dip his head, heard the noise of something sharp piercing through skin, and took Katara's blood. He heard her startled gasp of pain, her small mouth open to say something, and then she closed her eyes and didn't open them. He heard the beast inside him snapped at the sight of Katara's arms around Jet, and then he was lost as the beast took over his body for the first time in centuries.

She had a terrible headache.

Katara moaned as she opened her eyes. God, she wanted to sleep for eternity. Her brain hurt, her eyes hurt, her face hurt, even her ears hurt! What happened? Where was she? Why couldn't she remember a thing?

She had a dream, though she couldn't remember anything of it. There were two Zuko's. That was all she remembered, and then she was lost to the darkness once more, falling right back to sleep.

When Katara finally awoke again, she had a feeling there was something new. She no younger felt young, no younger felt like a kid. She frowned. How long had she been asleep and why didn't anyone wake her up?

She was downstairs in five after taking care of her usual morning basic needs, but she saw that her face was no longer the young face she remembered. Her hair was longer, thicker, her eyes older, more attractive. This wasn't the face she remembered, did Zuko changed her? She remembered Pipsqueak, she remembered being attacked, and then she turned so that her left cheek was shown in the small mirror Zuko had bought for her when she was younger and realized the scar had healed and was now a hundred percent gone!

"Zuko!" She yelled as she opened the door outside.

No one answered.

Quickly, she tried to link in her head.

**Zuko! Are you there? **

Zuko answered her immediately. **Katara! You are awake?**

**Yes, of course I am awake! Where are you?**

**Nowhere.**

"Gawd, I feel like I was just born!" Katara stretched, feeling good and energized. She felt like she could take on any vampire.

**Do not go anywhere. I will be there as soon as I can.**

"I am not going anywhere," Katara answered out loud.

**Get inside and lock the door and do not come out until I come in!**

"Okay, okay!" Katara frowned angrily. You do not have to order me around!

**Don't test my anger, Katara. I have been worried about you enough. **

Katara went back inside to curse at Zuko and to sulk. Trust Zuko to spoil her good mood, she thought.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:**You guys thought I was going to give you a cliffy, huh? Nah... I wouldn't do tha to you guys... Yet. x3 But I thought the ending was kind of a downer... But I have my reasons.

But thanks again to all the people that reviewed and read my story! Oh and don't get me wrong... I love Jet but he's extra sexy when he plays a bad guy! Right ladies? xD But I think that Jet would be even more cooler if he really was Zuko's brother, they are both hot-headed too. x3

Well, AnnaAza, Katara is, well was, fully human but she always had unhuman special _gifts_, but I cannot go into detail with that but I gave you a small hint.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

* * *

**Chapter Four**:

_One Seven_

* * *

**China 1939**

She didn't plan on going back to sleep, but when the door slammed shut; she threw herself up automatically, in fighting stance in case.

"It is just me." Zuko stated as he walked in, his long cape flowing behind him.

Katara frowned. Zuko never had a long black cape before, since when did he put it on?

"You scared me," Katara sighed. "What happened?"

Zuko stared at her. "You do not remember?"

"Remember what?" Katara asked. "I am tired and I have changed when I last look in the mirror."

"You seriously don't remember?" Zuko took a step towards her, and another until he was right in front of her.

"Uh…" Katara looked anywhere, but at his face. "Um… I do not know… am I supposed to?"

Zuko frowned. "Perhaps it is his blood." He turned away, his long cape following like a shadow after him.

"Whose blood?" Katara followed him.

"No one," he answered.

"Zuko?"

Zuko turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Since when did you start wearing a cape?"

"That is none of your business, Katara." Zuko told her and then went into his study room.

"May I go out now?"

"No," Zuko answered loud enough to be heard through the door. "Stay there."

"Why?" Katara asked.

"I need to check your blood."

"My blood?" Katara blinked. "What?"

Zuko came out with a knife and a small plate.

"What are you doing?" Katara moved back a step.

"I need to check your blood." Zuko took another step towards her.

"No!" Katara shook her head. "You know how much I hate being cut."

"This will cause no pain at all compared to what you have had in the past," Zuko told her sharply.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Katara almost shouted at him. "Why do you need to look at my blood."

"If you do not remember, it is your fate to not remember." Zuko told her and then backed her up against the door.

Katara never feared him, and she knew she had noting to fear from him, but this was the first time he was acting real weird. She had no recollection of what happened, only that she had been fighting with him and then she had gone out to get something to eat, but instead had met five other guys and had taken her anger out on them. After that, everything was black, total darkness.

"I do not need your philosophy right now," Katara growled angrily at Zuko. "I need answers. What happened and why are you doing this?"

Zuko didn't answer her.

"Fine," Katara's anger sparked. "If you want to drink my blood so badly, why do you not just do it the old fashion vampire way and suck my blood?" Katara turned her head and offered him her neck.

Zuko froze with the small dagger in his hand to look at her. He took another step, and another, until he was pushing her against the wall. "Maybe I will." He said coldly.

Katara swallowed, her throat dry. She had only said that out of anger, she hadn't meant it. She wasn't ready to be bitten by him yet, even though she has had fantasy about how it felt like to be in his arm and be—. She took a deep breath as Zuko lowered his head. Okay, so maybe she wanted this to happen; after all, didn't she want to be his? Didn't she want to become his lover, his bride of the night?

She closed her eyes as his head went even lower and her breath quickened as she felt the tingly sensation of his breath on her neck. Her pulse quickened even though she tried not to show it, she knew Zuko could hear her heart very well. He could hear every beat of it. Was he really going to bite her, and would she feel pain? She remembered pain from somewhere else…but she couldn't remember where…

Zuko was tempted, he really was. Her pulse had quickened, and he could see the veins there, the heat she was carrying and the blood. He knew they would taste sweet, sweet and—

"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Katara taunted.

He only wanted to take a look at her blood to see if she was changed because of Jet. It was not a big deal if a vampire bit someone since he/she wouldn't get change into a vampire, but the physical and sometimes mental attributes of the person can change. But Katara was being her usual self, stubborn and refusing to do whatever he said.

He took a sharp intake of breath and controlled his urge. His fangs lengthened, but he closed his eyes, controlled the beast that was raging for her blood and turned away from her. "That mouth of yours can get you into trouble one day."

"When that time comes, I will suffer the consequences." Katara told him, she was partially glad that he didn't bite her and not partially glad that he didn't.

Zuko took a deep breath because he was not feeling okay and went back to the dagger method. "Now give me your wrist or I will bite you."

"I like to see you try," Katara answered him angrily. "You are always going to that little lover of yours you should try something different for a change at least."

Zuko didn't think she knew about Mai, the girl he went to almost every night for nourishment whenever he felt the craving. "You are really asking for it huh?"

Katara glared angrily at Zuko then held out her wrist. "Hurry up with it."

"I only need a few drops." He told her. "This will not hurt."

Katara didn't even feel the pain as he drew the dagger across her wrist. Blood immediately poured from the wound and fell into the small plate. Zuko waited until he received a couple of drops and then he with his thumb, follow the wound from one side to the other side. The wound disappeared and healed immediately after he removed his thumb.

"Do not go outside." Zuko told her as he took the few drops and the dagger and went back into his study.

Katara didn't listen. She went outside anyway, and found herself in a new world from the one she remembered before. The grass was greener and the woods were now a little bit brighter than before. She frowned. There was never a rock to her left was there? If there had been, she would have noticed it. The trees were also larger, and she was able to hear a lot more and see farther than before. There was something wrong with her; she was never able to hear anything for miles. She had good hearing, but never this good. And her eyes; they were more sensitive to the sun. It hurt like hell, dammit. It felt like she had never been out in the sun for years now and was finally out and getting use to the sun.

She walked a couple of miles, feeling like she could take on the world. She was going to turn back when she came upon the rock she had spotted. Somehow, she had thought that they were closer, but she had actually walked farther, as far as she could see. Katara was getting really freaked out now.

Katara stopped in front of the rock and stared at the name engraved on there.

Pipsqueak Jinru.

'Pipsqueak Jinru' she read quietly. 'Pipsqueak Jinru…' the name sounded familiar, she remembered it from somewhere…somewhere…someone calling out….

_"Once you get your hands on me, you will not be killing me..."_

_"Watch out!"_

_"You can not defeat him!"_

_"Kiet, did you hear me back there? That thing is not human!"_

_"You have forgotten me. Bad girl, did Zuko put a spell on you to forget?"_

_"Leave him alone!"_

Katara turned back from the engraved rock and ran. She ran back into the cave, into the room and into Zuko's study room.

"What is it?" Zuko looked up, wondering if Jet came back.

"What happened to everyone?" Katara asked. "What happened to me?"

"What?"

"I…remember…" she came to stand in front of him. "I remember bits and pieces…tell me…what happened?"

"So you remember a little?" Zuko asked. "I think you have changed…a little."

"I know I have changed." Katara told him. "I…hear things much better, see things much better."

"And your strength?" Zuko asked.

"I do not know!" Katara cried frustrated. "I just want to know what happen after…Jet attacked."

"You remember his name too?"

"He is your twin brother, is he not?" Katara asked.

"No," Zuko shook his head. "We look a like, and people call us twins, but we are not really twins."

"Then what are you two? Why do you two look so much alike?"

"I am what I am. He is what he is." Zuko answered her.

"What is he then?"

"A vampire."

"He is a vampire…. Why then did he call you his twin brother?"

"We are…stepbrothers." Zuko turned to look at a painting of a woman. Katara had never came into his study room before, and she had never demanded answers from him before. Probably because she forgot half of it, but now, now she was demanding answers.

"Stepbrothers…?" Katara frowned. "How could that be? You are a vampil though…"

"Unlike him, my father was a vampire." Zuko answered, still looking at the picture. "My father, he took my mother and made her his bride of the night, but…" He stopped. It had been more than a thousand years now that his family had died, maybe even more, he could not remember. He knew it was a long time ago though; a very, very, long time ago because he was fifty years older before Jet was born.

"But what?" Katara went to stand in front of him so he was forced to look at her instead of the painting or anywhere else.

He shrugged. "But she refused to be changed, and when they found out she had slept with him, they were to burn her." He pushed her hair away from her eyes by staring at it. "Eventually, my father died saving her, and she was rescued by my father's best friend, who was a human."

"Who are they?" Katara didn't move an inch because he was peering at her through those piercing golden eyes, looking past her eyes and into her soul and her mind.

"They were people."

"Just…people?"

"People who were afraid of something unknown to them."

Zuko told her, still keeping her gaze. He wasn't trying to hypnotize her, but Katara felt like she was already under his spell.

"Jet's father rescued your mother then?" Katara wanted to know more about him, wanted to find out where he came from and how he was, how he lived.

"Yes," he moved in towards her a little closer. "My mother grew to love him and gave birth to Jet, who was an ordinary human being."

"Then how did he become…?" Katara trailed off.

"A vampire?" Zuko stepped in a little more so if he leaned his head foreword, it would be touching hers.

"Yes…" Katara gaze fell down to his lips. They were in great shape and looked very kissable. She was not going to be affected, she told herself, but she had waited forever for him to kiss her and if this was the only chance she will ever get, she was willing to go for it.

"Your heart is beating."

"I am…not dead…" she was also having difficulty breathing.

He almost grinned, but he didn't want to lose the effect. "I mean your heart is beating a lot faster."

"You are not supposed to be listening," she said breathlessly.

"I can not help it, it is a vampil thing." He told her.

"Then pretend it is something else…" she told him. "Jet…"

"Like what?" He leaned forward, pretending he hadn't heard her say Jet.

"You are not playing fair," she told him. "I want to know about Jet and what happened…the fight and everything."

"Poor Katara, you do not remember most of it do you?" Zuko smiled at her, removing another strand of hair away from her eye, this time with his hand.

"I want to know about Jet." She told him stubbornly. It was hard already trying to keep her mind from doing what her heart wanted for so long, especially with Zuko's eyes on her and not to mention the effect it has on her and her senses.

"Forget about Jet," Zuko told her. "Jet can wait. This cannot."

"What cannot wai—" Katara didn't immediately close her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. She stood still and stiff beneath him. She had expected a kiss, but this was her very first kiss and she had no idea what to do. She had always thought that when it came to kissing, as long as it was with Zuko, she would know what to do, or how to react, but her mind was not with her. It was somewhere in heaven.

His lips felt soft against hers, soft and a little different, a feeling she had never experienced before, but she didn't care, she relaxed slowly, but didn't close her eyes.

"Close your eyes." Zuko whispered against her mouth.

Katara closed her eyes and almost sigh. She was feeling good, delirious, all because he was kissing her.

"Katara?"

"Yes?" she sighed.

"Put your arms around me." He told her.

Katara put her arms around his neck. "Is this right?"

"Perfect." He murmured.

"Zuko?" She asked.

"Hmm…?"

"Is the kiss over yet?" Katara asked because she didn't want the kiss to be over yet.

Zuko smiled against her mouth. "You call that a kiss?"

"Well…yes, at least I think it was a kiss."

"That was only a peck." He told her. Then he put his mouth on hers and nibbled softly on her lips. Katara press closer to him, touching the hair at his nape.

"Was that a kiss?" Katara sigh once he removed his mouth from her lips.

"Not even close." Zuko told her.

"Then give me a kiss!" Katara demanded.

Zuko put his lips on hers once more. Katara closed her eyes again, expecting something more than nibbling to happen, but nothing did.

"Katara, open your mouth." Zuko finally told her.

"My wha—" Katara opened her mouth, and was in for the shock of her life.

Finally, Zuko thought. He didn't want to scare away innocent Katara, but he was finally kissing her the way he had dreamed of for years now. He hadn't expected her to sleep so long, but two years was a long time for her and he had been afraid that she was never going to wake up. It had been miracle that she was finally awake. He had begin to lose hope and was already searching for doctors, even Jet, who had disappeared after he had nearly killed him in battle, to find a way to get her to come back to him.

He trace her lips slowly nibbling along the way, not wanting to scare her, and when she returned the kiss, he knew she was finally getting over her shyness and was getting a little bold in her attacks. He could hear her heart beating, but not her thoughts. She had closed off her thoughts to him. It was just as well because he also had closed his thoughts to her, not wanting her to know that he had distracted her purposely so she could forget about Jet for the time being. He didn't want to talk about Jet just yet. What he had found in her blood, he needed to examine a little more and see if it was what he had thought it was.

And he should be getting back to that pretty soon, but he was being distracted. As much as he wanted to linger on the kiss and savor it, he had to get back to work. Jet was going to be back, and he was going to be back real soon. If he had made it into a full fledge vampire like he had feared, then he was going to recuperate quicker and come back a lot stronger. What Katara didn't know was that Jet was going to really come for her when she turned eighteen, and she was now seventeen. He was going to come real soon, he had no idea when and where, but he was going to prepare anyway, first and foremost, teaching her how to block the spells like she had done while she was young and increase her fighting techniques.

He pulled away before they could end up somewhere else and pushed her away. "God forbid." He muttered.

Katara didn't hear him, she was still in a daze, and she had to lean against the desk or fall to the ground.

"Katara?"

Katara turn her gaze on him, her eyes were still groggy and unfocused. "Zuko?"

"That is enough for today," Zuko told her. "You need to get some rest." Even though she had gotten more rest than she would ever need, he thought. Two years of sleep would have been good enough for him.

"Rest?" Katara blinked, trying to focus her attention on her surroundings and where she was. "Rest? I just woke up. Why would I need to rest?"

"Because—" he stopped, because what? He didn't want to remind her of Jet. He wasn't ready to answer her questions yet. He needed all the answers first before he could answer her. He wasn't going to tell her that she needed rest because she had been bitten by a vampire, Jet to be exact, and that her body was changing…only a little, thanks to Jet. His mind settled on her neck, where Jet had bitten her. He knew exactly where the Jet had bit her even though the teeth marks had disappeared a long time ago while her body was still healing itself from the attacks and the memories of that horrifying night.

No matter, he thought as he turned back to examine her blood once more. He was going to take her nearer to a village so that she could at least get some protection there whenever he was not around and he was not going to let Jet take her away from him. He was willing to let her go, he was willing to let any other guy take her, but not Jet. Jet would destroy her mind, body and spirit. He wouldn't kill her, but he would let her live lifelessly and that, he didn't want her to become, a lifeless thing.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:** Poor little Zuzu... He wanted to hold onto that moment forever... Ah... Oh well. Had to throw Mai in there. xD

Thank you my reviewing my Chickadees. This will probably be my last update until Monday or Tuesday... Maybe even later than that, it depends if I am busy or not. But I wanted to get these four Chapter out the way and now I'll have to do some major brainpower for the next.

Oh and thank you Turion for giving me some pointers. I really like crictism. I think I might need a Beta Reader to help me out on some of my spelling in such. I'm not a excellent writer... I suppose. n_n;; Oh and Mishibishi - Thank you for the message. The reason why I chose China because I wasn't sure how the Avatar world will play out and Fire Nation is suppose to be China, right? And I think China is cool~! Not as cool as Japan, no offense.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

* * *

**Chapter Five**:

_Betrayal and Truths  
_

* * *

"No! We are not going there!" Katara growled angrily at Zuko. "You are not taking me there!"

"We are going there for your sake," Zuko told her silently as they made their way through the crowds of people.

"I am not going!" Katara argued. "I want to stay in your place."

"You are not staying there no longer," Zuko said. "I can not be there to protect you."

"Where are you going then?" Katara was suddenly in front of Zuko.

Zuko had to grinned. "You are learning pretty fast."

"It does not matter, tell me why you will no longer be there!"

"That I cannot do," Zuko told her truthfully. "It is none of your concern."

"It is my concern!"

The villagers turn to look at them as they passed.

"Quiet, you are making a spectacle of yourself." Zuko told her.

"I do not care, if you are not going to tell—"

"Mr. Zuko, I presume?" Someone interrupted them.

"Yes," Zuko nodded.

"This is the house you mentioned?"

Katara glared at Zuko. "House? You call this a house? It looks more like a mansion!"

"It is a mansion," Zuko told her. "How much?"

"Two hundred gold pieces, mi'lord."

"Very well," Zuko produced two bags full of gold pieces.

"Thank you," he took the money, handed Zuko a piece of paper and went on his way.

"I am not living alone in there!"

"Stop acting like a baby! You will not have to live alone in that house." He told her. "I have already hired five house maids and a butler. As well as that—"

"What do you expect me to do with them? They cannot protect me!" Katara huffed angrily as she followed Zuko into the house.

Zuko didn't bother to tell her that the five house maids he had hired were vampires as well as the three bodyguards he secretly hired to keep her safe. He knew she could take care of herself, but you can't be too sure.

"Just stay in the house at all times and do not leave it."

"So what am I now? A prisoner?"

"No you are not a prisoner. I just want you to stay while I go out for a while."

"And how long will a while be?"

"I do not know yet," Zuko took the key and opened the mansion door.

"I do not like big places like this," Katara admitted.

Zuko found the living room while Katara went up to find herself a bedroom.

"I have not slept in a real comfy bed for a long, long time." Katara sigh as she jumped onto the bed. "Very good, soft and silky."

"Remember, you stay in here," Zuko's voice came out of nowhere.

Katara jumped up to sit on the bed and glare at him. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere that concerns you." Zuko told her.

"When will you be leaving for your little…trip?"

"I will not be leaving for quite a while." Zuko admitted.

"What about that girl you are visiting? Will you still keep in touch with her?

Zuko's eyes flared. "How do you know about her?"

"I am not exactly dumb." Katara's chin rose slightly.

"Just do not speak of her again." Zuko turned from the doorway.

"I am going out tonight." Katara called after him.

Zuko kept going; he refused to answer.

"If you are not back by evening, I will go without you." Katara muttered, knowing Zuko would hear her.

Zuko did, his footsteps stopped for a moment, and then it started again.

"Bastard," Katara muttered angrily at Zuko. God, how she hated him and love him at the same time. She would give anything to be a normal girl. She winced literally, knowing that it wasn't true. He was not a bastard, god, why did she have to fall in love with a cold guy like him!

Katara waited, she waited and waited. She even waited ten minutes late, but Zuko never showed up. Eventually, she couldn't wait any longer and she had to leave, had to get out of this house, so she left…just to be stopped by a maid.

"But m'lady, the lord of the house has given us direct order to not leave you behind."

"God! Stop calling me m'lady! I have a name you know!" Katara glared.

"We were hired and you are the—"

"You do not look like a maid," Katara suddenly said as she narrowed her eyes at the maid. "Are you sure you were hired by Zuko?"

"Yes!" The maid nodded too quickly. "The lord of the house has offered me this position."

"For how much?"

"I get twenty gold pieces an hour."

"That is a little too much is it not?" Katara said thoughtfully.

"No, it is the average money that every household maids earn."

Katara nodded thoughtfully and then moved forward.

"No!" The maid was in front of her. "M'lady, think of the Lord's wrath when he comes back and finds you are gone!" The maid stretched out her arms.

"Lord? You call him a Lord!" Katara glared at the maid.

The maid had the decency to blush. "But that is what we call the leader of the house… the Lord of the—"

"Excuse me." Katara stepped to the side and attempted to go, but the maid blocked her path again.

"You cannot go!" The maid begged. "We will get in trouble. You do not want innocent bystanders to suffer now would you?"

"Do not worry," Katara told the worried maid. "I will let Zuko know that so you will not get in trouble."

"No matter, you are to stay in here."

Katara took a step forward. "You cannot stop me."

Katara took a step forward once more, but the maid stuck out her foot, but Katara jumped over it. But the maid grabbed her arm and attempted to throw Katara back. Katara landed on her feet, arms in front of her with a shock look on her face. "Are you sure you are just an ordinary maid?"

The maid stood up stiff. "I am just a maid, but I have study some fighting skills."

"How long have you studied?"

"Not that long," The maid lied. "Not that long."

Katara stood up. "Very well, if you want to tell Zuko that you have attempted to stop me, go ahead." Katara smiled.

"I do not wish to hurt you m'lady!" The maid look appalled.

"What is the matter? You cannot hurt me if I fight back."

"I do not want to fight with you." The maid looked afraid.

"Very well," Katara grinned even wider. "Then I get to go free."

Katara moved forward and the maid tried to grab her arm, but Katara managed to avoid it. However, the maid tried to hit her on the head but she moved off to the side, avoiding the hand. Katara instead moved back and hit the maid's stomach with her elbow. The maid didn't even bulge.

Katara's eyes widened. She had packed enough punch into it so that the maid would faint…if she was an ordinary human being. "You are not a human maid at all are you!"

"No I am not," the maid admitted. "And if you attempt to leave here, I will be forced to take action."

"Then take action!" Katara challenged. "What are you?"

"One of Zuko's man."

"I would not say man…" Katara frowned. "One of Zuko's women. How many women has he had?"

"I cannot answer that," The maid told her. "I am only one of his loyal servants."

"Ugh!" Katara gave a disgusted grunt. "Never you mind. Good-bye."

Before the maid could react, Katara was already out the door.

The maid attempted to go after her, but a voice stopped her.

"Let her go. I will go after her."

"Yes, master." The maid nodded and went back to her work.

'**Now this is the life**.' Katara thought cheerfully as she went on her way. She had dressed herself up as a commoner so that she wouldn't stand out in the crowd, and so far, she had noticed a couple of the men already looking her way. She had refused to flirt though when they had tried to flirt with her, after all, her heart was already taken. Even so, she enjoyed the attention because she has never had an admirer before.

"An amulet for two xiens, an amulet for two silver pieces!"

"A rice ball for only a silver piece!"

"Beautifully made sword, only thirty silver pieces!"

Katara shook her head as the market attempted to get her to buy something. She had not brought any money with her so she could not buy anything; nevertheless, she looked. It was amazing, the many items that were found on the market these days. Even though she had only been to the market twice in her whole entire lifetime, there were still new jewelries; new items to discover if one look close enough.

She was looking through some of the amulets when someone grabbed her hand, giving her a start. She looked up to see a woman's face with her head hidden behind a hood. She was very beautiful with dark purple eyes and thick long lashes. Her mouth was small and full, her skin as white as the moon. Her sharp narrowed eyes look like it never missed anything.

"How would you like your fortune told, Miss?" Her voice was scratchy and hard to hear over the noise, but very understandable.

"Ummm…no thank you, madam," Katara shook her head. "I do not have any money on me."

"Do not worry, I always charge free for the first time." She looked at her, assessing her as if she were an animal and the fortune lady, her owner.

"What do you tell?"

"For the first time, your past," the lady still continued to hold her hand.

"Okay," Katara agreed just so the lady could remove her hand away, and she did.

"Very well, follow me into my tent."

"Do we have to go into this tent?" Katara asked nervously. She did not want her fortune being told.

"Silence, do not disturb the peace that is in this room for I require dark and peacefulness."

Katara shut her mouth, but she shivered. Telling herself it was just her imagination; she shook her head, stood up taller and followed the lady deeper into the tent. When they finally came to a very small room with nothing but a table and light from the top, the fortune lady told her to sit down. Katara sat on one end of the table as the old lady seated herself at the other end of the table.

"Your name is Katara. Katara, do you remember your last name? Do you know your last name?"

Katara shook her head. Funny, she never even bothered to question Zuko about her last name before, why was that?

"Do you remember your past?"

"Not much."

"Tell me about it," the lady commanded.

"I thought you were doing the telling, not the other way around." Katara muttered.

"Yes, but you do not remember much of your past do you?"

This time, Katara had no smart reply.

"That is right. You do not remember Jet, the vampire, do you?"

This was really getting to her now.

"How do you know about vampires?"

"I know, they are all around," the lady whispered. "They hear, they cry, they come to me for help when needed."

"Then you should know that I am one of them."

The old lady chuckled. "You are not one of them…yet."

This set Katara's heart a thumping. Could it be? "What do you mean by yet?"

"The vampil Zuko has live alone for hundreds of thousands of years."

"How long?"

"That, I cannot say, for he has live longer than me," the lady answered.

"Will he have a partner?" Katara asked.

"That I cannot answer," The lady told Katara sadly. "There are some things I can reveal, and there are other things I cannot reveal."

"What can you reveal then?"

The old lady suddenly gave a gasp, and moved back, as if afraid of her. "You have two destiny!" She accused.

"I did not know!" Katara pretended a gasp, as if as shocked as the lady.

"Do not mock me!" The lady told her in a chilling voice. "That is your fate, to either die for your love or to live the life of a useless thing."

"So no matter which way I would die anyway?" Katara grinned. "I would rather die for love than for naught."

"Silence! You do not understand. The battle will soon take place, but no one will be declare the victor."

"What battle?" Katara asked, curious now.

"They will both fight for the same reason."

"And what is that reason?"

"You."

"Thank you for this little… past future fortune telling, but I really must get going." Katara stood up, but the lady grabbed her hand again in a deathly grip. "You must beware of your kind."

"My kind?"

"For it is by their hands that you shall die if you do not beware."

Katara nodded. "I really must go now."

"You think I am lying."

"No. I think you are crazy." Katara admitted. "But I have seen crazy things. Do not worry, I will heed your warnings well."

"Call me if you need my help. I will be willing to help you."

"Why?"

"He saved me once," the fortuneteller admitted to her. "I owe him that much."

Katara nodded, following her back outside.

"An amulet," the old lady gave Katara a small teardrop necklace. It was green, and it shone brightly when the light came upon it. "For good luck and protection. Do not ever take it off."

Katara put it around her neck just to satisfy the lady, then turned and stroll off.

"What did you tell her, Niece?" A voice came out of nowhere.

"She is the chosen one."

"I do not need a bride."

"She is fit to become your queen."

"She is a mere mortal, a child."

"But she understands you and your kind. She understands and accepts."

"No matter, I will not condemn her to darkness." The voice faded.

"Blessed thee…" The fortuneteller whispered.

"I do not believe in him no more," the voice whispered back. "But blessed thee. Live well until the next time, my niece, Azula."

"Well…look hea boys, wat do we hav 'ere?"

Katara stopped as two guys blocked her while one surrounded her on her right and another one on her left.

"Looks like a lonely traveler boss," Katara's back bump into someone as someone in front of her spoke.

"Ah, and a girl too, eh?" The team of five boys chuckled.

Someone grabbed Katara's hand and held it behind her back.

"Let me go," Katara said.

"Not until we have our fun with you," One of the older boy, taller than the rest chuckled at her. He came to stand in front of her.

"Not yet, leave her for me."

"I want her first, boss." The boy in front of her grinned.

"You guys do not know what you guys are doing," Katara told him as he ran a finger down her cheek.

"Soft and smooth…that is how I like my girls," he grinned even wider.

"How do you want me to kill you?" Katara turned her head so he wasn't touching her no longer. "Shall I summon a vampire to suck your blood or shall I just kill you with my bare hands."

The group of boys laughed at her. "Vampires! Hah! What do you know about vampires girl?"

"More than you do." She smiled wickedly at them. "Behind you."

Everyone turned around quickly to see a figure there, in the dark.

"Do you always attract trouble wherever you go?"

"No," Katara shrugged her shoulders since her fingers were still held behind her. "They find me."

Zuko stepped into the light and the boys laughed again. "You call this a vampire? You can not even beat me!"

Zuko gave them a smile. "What do you think?"

Katara yawned. "Why do you not just get it over with? Teach them a lesson."

"Katara," Zuko warned. "You were supposed to stay inside."

"Well you took too long."

"Get your hands off her." Zuko told them.

"You get through us first." Two boys came and surrounded him.

"You people do not know what you are doing, do you?" Zuko told them. "Very well."

Before Katara could blink, Zuko had pinned the boys to the wall, baring his fangs and his red eyes. "What shall I do with you?" He smiled evilly.

"Holy man! What the hell is this guy?" The other two backed up, but the one holding Katara's hands stood still.

"No one you should be afraid of," Katara pushed back and elbow him in the stomach, "but me, I am your worst nightmare." She smiled evilly and before the guy could react, Katara had her sword, the sharp blade, against his neck. "So, how should I kill you?"

"You cannot kill me!" The guy told her. "You do not have the guts."

"My body… it will not move!"

"What is going on here, I cannot control mine anymore!"

Katara turned her eyes to the two boys who were attempting to run, but couldn't. "Zuko, what are you doing?"

"I cannot let them go." Zuko told her. "They know about us."

"But we cannot just kill them!" Katara hissed at him.

"We will take their bodies and buried them ourselves after I finished feeding."

"They are only just boys." Katara told him.

"No matter." Zuko turned back to the other two boys he was holding. "I am in a killing mood tonight."

Katara moved out of the way before the long blade could slice her and it slice only a little piece of her hair. "You are lucky I saw that." Katara told him.

"You are lucky I was not fast enough," the guy snarled at her and then jumped her. Katara jumped out of the way. "We are willing to let you guys go, and here you are, killing us?"

"No, I am leaving you for last. But first, I am going to kill your boyfriend."

Katara landed on top of one of the boxes, sitting down. "I would not do that if I were you."

"Do what?"

"Attack from behind like that." Katara told him. "Zuko does not like it."

"I do not care." The man charged at Zuko.

Before Katara could blink, the man went flying past Katara.

"Do not just sit there," Zuko's voice came to her. "Help me out here."

"You can handle yourself." Katara grinned at him.

"I taught you better than that."

Katara jumped to the ground. "Just let them go."

"I killed the other one."

"That is his fault. I warned him how much you hate back attacks, but we should try to at least prevent most of the killings."

"You killed him with just one blast?"

"No way!"

"Your boss is next." Zuko said in a chilling voice.

"I am leaving," Katara told Zuko.

"Do not go far." Zuko told her.

Katara bowed so low that her hair almost touched the floor. She knew Zuko saw her even if he pretended he didn't, and then she jumped up onto the rooftops of the small houses and disappeared.

"W-w—what are you going to do?" One of the guys Zuko was holding choked.

"I was going to drain you guys dry," Zuko tightened his grip on them, "but you should be thankful that my girlfriend there convinced me you two should live." Zuko let go of them and they fell to the ground, coughing and choking. "Remember your lesson, and do not ever let me see your face again."

Zuko disappeared before they could blink.

"Do you want to buy a ring, my lady?"

"No," Katara shook her head. "No thank you."

"How about a bracelet?"

"No," Katara shook her head. "No thank you."

"A necklace?"

Katara shook her head, but before she could say no, it caught her eye. "What is it?"

"It is from the Imperial Court, the princess there once own it, but it was lost over the years, and finally show up here. I managed to find it before it could be shipped off to foreign land."

"A necklace of the Imperial Court?" Katara frowned. "May I take a look at it?"

"Yes, yes, of course. It is real, pure gold."

Yes, Katara could see. She could tell whether or not it was real gold or not. She took raised it up to the moonlight. "Yes, how much is it?" Katara turned the necklace back and read the name. "Princess Toph."

"Yes, her story was very tragic."

"Very?" Katara had never heard of this Princess Toph before. "How long ago was it?"

"Very long ago, a hundred years ago, to be exact." The lady told her. "Princess Toph was a very beautiful princess of the Imperial Court. However, she fell in love with one of the peasants who had lied to her and told her that he was a prince from a foreign land. He was, in fact, a thief who was out to steal money and gold and Princess Toph had gotten her heart stolen along with him. He had given her this necklace, with her name engraved on the back of it and they were planning on running away together for it was forbidden for the Princess to mingle with the commoners; however that night, her parents and her fiancé had found out about this plan, and instead the fiancé went to meet the man instead of the princess. He brought back this necklace that you hold there."

Katara frowned. Was she hearing voices, or were they really there?

"She promised, why did she lie?"

Katara turned around to look behind her, but everything had faded, the people, the small markets. She was now in a forest, but she could see everything, hear everything.

"A princess of the Imperial Court cannot fall in love with a mere commoner," someone spat. "Have you forgotten that rule?"

"She told me she loved me."

Katara saw two guys in front of her. One was wearing a hood and the other was dress as a commoner, brown shirts and brown pants. The one wearing the hood was holding a sword and the commoner was holding a dagger.

"She was only playing with you. She only toyed with your heart."

"No!" The man holding the dagger rushed at him, but the hooded man dodged the blow. "You lie! Toph would never betray me."

"She has. She came running to me after you two made the plans and said you are too poor she cannot marry you."

"You are lying, liar!"

'**He is lying!'** Katara opened her mouth.** 'She is in her castle, tied! He is just trying to cloud your mind!' **But they couldn't see her; they couldn't hear her.

"Bastard!" The dagger came flying out of nowhere, but it missed the hooded man.

'**No'** Katara shook her head and she ran towards them. **'No! You cannot die! Toph is waiting for you, you have to live and save her. You have to go rescue her!'**

She stood in the middle of them, but they passed her, like she was a ghost, they went right through her.

"Die, you commoner, for you will never be worth enough to have her in your bed."

'**Nooo!' **Katara went in front of the guy with the dagger, spreading her arms wide, but the hooded guy kept coming. He thrust forward and Katara blinked. She look down and saw the sword through her body, saw herself get stabbed, but she felt no pain, and when she saw the blood, she fainted.

"Miss? Miss?"

Katara shook her head. "I am fine. What happened?"

"I do not know. You suddenly fell to the ground, are you all right?"

Katara nodded her head. "Yes, I am fine." Katara looked at the necklace on the ground. "What just happened?"

"Do you want to sit down?"

"No," Katara shook her head. "He thought Princess Toph betrayed her." She stated.

"Yes," the lady nodded and frowned at her. "I thought you said you have not heard of that story before?"

"No…no, I have not." Katara shook her head.

"Then how did you know that?"

"I saw it…" Katara told her. "I must be crazy…"

"Ah," The lady chuckled. "You are not crazy. You must be one of those talented people."

"What do you mean?"

"People who see things when they touch other stuffs." The woman told her. "They are known as Visioners."

"But it has never happen before."

"It usually happens if something traumatic happens." The lady stood up. "Grab the necklace, see what happens."

Katara took a deep breath and took the necklace.

The next thing she knew, she was in the palace. She heard someone sobbing and a couple of people talking.

"He was not there, Princess." It was the hooded man again.

"Prince Lu Ten is telling the truth."

"Father, you are lying. He would never betray me. He told me he loved me. He changed his ways."

"Toph! You are to be wed, you must not think of him again."

"No!" Toph sobbed. "You killed him, you killed him."

Before Katara could blink, she was suddenly in a dark room. In front of her was a very big window, painted in all sorts of different colors.

"They killed you."

Katara turned around, and saw the princess. Her hair was down and her eyes were red from crying. "I will not believe that you would betray me."

Right before Katara's eyes, Princess Toph ran forward and ran right past her, and right into the glass. There was a loud shattering and then a loud thump five seconds later. Katara's eyes widened. **'No, do not look' **She told herself, but her feet crept forward slowly.

**Katara!**

Katara blinked.

**Katara, get back here!**

**Zuko?**

**Where are you? Get back here with me right now! **

**I have to go look.**

**Look at what?**

**The dead girl, the princess, she jumped off the window.**

**Just get the hell back here!**

That snapped Katara out of it and she leaned against the pole. Someone was shaking her.

"I am okay now," Katara held the shoulders of whoever was shaking her.

"What happened here?" Zuko turned to the lady.

"Nothing," Katara answered. "Nothing happened."

"You are constantly getting yourself in trouble." Zuko growled at her.

"You cursed." Katara was finally getting over the visions. "You cursed."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Zuko glared at her.

Katara grinned. "This is the first time I have heard you cursed."

"Well…" Zuko grinned back at her. "I try to curse every once a century or so."

Katara smiled. "I will take the necklace."

"It is five hundred xiens."

"Five hundred?" Katara frowned. "Two hundred."

"I need to make a living." The lady chuckled at her.

"You are making money." Katara grinned at her.

"Three hundred." The lady countered.

"Two-fifty." Katara reply.

"Deal!" The lady smiled.

Katara handed the money to the lady and smiled. "Thank you."

"Come back any time. I am always ready for a good bargain."

"That is a waste of money," Zuko told her.

"No it is not. This necklace is a legend."

"What happened back there?"

"I saw them."

"Who?"

"Princess Toph and her lover."

"Princess Toph?" Zuko stopped. "What do you mean you saw them?"

"They died." Katara frowned. "They did nothing wrong but fall in love. That is not fair, do you not think so?"

"What? That they die for love or that people could not see their love?"

"You know about the story?" Katara turned to face him. "And you did not bother to tell me?"

"You saw them die?"

Katara nodded. "Princess Toph jumped off the window of…"

"Her castle. In one of the towers." Zuko finished for her.

"So that is where I was."

"Yes, everyone knows she jumped off there after she went crazy."

"She went crazy?" Katara frowned. "That part, I did not see."

"She lost the necklace and went crazy, which might explains why she jumped off the window."

"Oh…" Katara nodded. "Her lover—"

"His name was Prince Aang." Zuko interrupted.

"So he really was a prince?"

"Yes, he was a foreign Prince disguised as a commoner."

"Prince Aang died." Katara said sadly.

Zuko looked at her with an amused smile on his face. "You think?"

"Yes. I saw him die. The sword went right through me, right here." Katara pointed to her stomach where the sword passed through in her vision. "For a moment, I thought I got stabbed along with him," she grinned.

"How do you think they are living now?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, they are probably living well in whatever place they are living in now." Katara said. "It is sad though, that people cannot comprehend love between two people and seek to destroy them instead."

Zuko smiled down at her. "Come, I have something to show you."

Katara glanced at him. "What?"

"It is a surprise." Zuko took her hand. "Are you ready?"

"How far do we have to go?" Katara asked.

"Not far if you are traveling with me." Zuko told her, and then for a moment, he was deep in thoughts, but a second later, he shook his head. "Come, take my hand."

"We are not going by air, are we?" Katara frowned. "Zuko, you know how much I hate flying."

"You will have to if you want to see them."

"Who is them?"

"You will see."

Minutes later, Katara and Zuko landed in the middle of a large forest.

"Can you see? Can you hear anything?" Zuko whispered in her ear.

"No, nothing." Katara told him.

"Good, you hearing is better than usual."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Katara answered.

Katara followed Zuko deeper into the woods and soon they came to a clearing. Katara opened her mouth to say something, but a hand covered it.

**A family of rabbits.**

Katara met his eyes.

**How cute! **

Katara crept a little closer. **There are six of them.**

**You can see that far?**

**Yes. **Katara rolled her eyes.**I do not know why, but I can actually see better than before.**

A twig snapped, taking their attention away from the rabbits to the danger.

"Whose there?" Katara stepped in front of Zuko, as if to shield him.

Zuko scowled at Katara before pushing her back behind him and looking around the forest for any sign of threat, his body stiff and ready for action.

"You should have blindfolded her." A voice came out of nowhere.

"You are growing old in your years if you cannot be that quiet when creeping up on me." Zuko told the voice cheerfully, the stiffness left his body.

"Do not try to change the subject, my friend."

"Welcome back, Zuko, dear." A female's voice followed the first male voice. It was sweet and soft, like she was singing, instead she wasn't.

"You know we do not trust humans." The male voice boom.

"She is a…friend of mine," Zuko told them.

"Who are they, Zuko?"

"Step into the light, Your Highness, so that she may see who you guys are."

Katara's eyes widened as she saw the two faces that came out of the darkness."Princess Toph and Prince Aang?"

Prince Aang frowned. "How does she know us, Zuko? We have never seen her before."

"She met you two in a vision of hers." Zuko leaned back against the tree behind him. "She thought you two were dead. I was just proving her wrong."

"In a vision?" Princess Toph slender figure floated towards her. She was actually walking, but to Katara, she was floating, she held her head high and graceful and she walked as if she was actually the Empress herself.

"Oh…wow…you two are alive!" Katara blinked, as if not believing it. "You two are alive! But I saw you two die, how can you two still be alive?"

"We are alive, thanks to your friend there," Prince Aang leaned his shoulder against the tree beside him and crossed his feet. "He was a good friend of ours and anyone who is a friend of his is a friend of us, but be warn, we do not like traitors among us."

"You helped them?" Katara turned to Zuko. "Meaning you turned them into one of you…right?"

"Something to that effect." Zuko nodded. "She is not traitor. She works for me."

"What kind of work do you do?" Princess Toph walked around Katara. "You are quite young and too soft to be doing any hard work."

"Do not underestimate her," Zuko grinned warmly at Toph. "She is quite strong. She was the one that killed Monsieur Valerian DuChuantae."

"That wicked vampire?" Princess Toph's brow shot up. "Ah, she is the legendary vampire hunter that we have heard so much about."

"Ooh…" Katara didn't know whether to get on her knees and bow, or just stared at them, so she did what she thought was right, she bowed her head. "I am Katara."

"Ah, yes, Katara." Prince Aang stood up and walked towards her. "It is a pleasure at last, to meet your beautiful face." He took Katara's hand and kissed her ring finger while his eyes held her spellbound.

Katara blushed. "Um…yeah…" She didn't know whether she should pull her hand away or leave them there for him to devour because he was still holding it.

Zuko coughed behind them and Katara pulled her hand away. "I would not do that if I were you." Zuko warned.

"Why?" Prince Aang laughed softly. "Jealous, my good friend?"

"No, it is just that you cannot read her mind no matter how hard you try."

"You were reading my mind!" Katara glared at the Prince.

"Do not worry," He patted her hand. "Zuko was right. I could not breach that tough wall of yours. You taught her well, Zuko."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Zuko said mockingly with a bow.

"Darling, it is getting cold here. We should take them inside." Princess Toph touched her husband's arm.

"Yes, come. We shall hold a fest for our friend's return and his," he turned to give Katara a quick kiss on both her cheeks," his beautiful woman."

"I belong to no one," Katara muttered behind Prince Aang's back.

It was not a surprised that he heard her, "Ah, but soon you will."

"What does he mean by that?" Katara turned to ask Zuko.

He shrugged his shoulders. Where he was warm minutes ago, he was now cold.

"Come, let me show you around," Prince Aang waited for Katara to catch up to him. Then he held out his elbow and she tucked her arm under his. "You two shall follow suit." He commanded his wife and Zuko.

"Yes sire." Zuko said with amusement.

Katara and the Prince disappeared around the corner.

"She does not appear to be afraid of Aang." Toph took Zuko's elbow and they followed slowly behind.

"No. She is not afraid of anything," Zuko thoughtfully answered. "Except flying."

"She seems…enchanted with him."

Zuko grinned at his good friend. "Jealous?"

"No," she returned the grin. "I am use to girls fawning all over him, but this one does not."

"She appears so."

Toph laughed softly. "You do not know a girl's heart."

"That is right," Zuko agreed. "She is only a girl, so she does not know her heart."

"You love her," Toph observed.

"Right again. I raised her, she is like my daughter."

"You do not have daughterly feelings towards her though," Toph smiled at him. "Do not tell me a girl has finally trapped you."

"No," Zuko glared at Toph. "I am destined to be alone. I cannot take a bride."

"Aang took a bride." Toph said thoughtfully.

"Aang is in love."

"And you are not?" Toph grinned. "Come, she is perfect for you. Sipped her blood, mix it with yours, and she is yours forever."

"That I cannot ask her to do."

"She is willing."

Zuko didn't answer. Of course he knew she was willing. She has been in love with him ever since she understood the differences between family love, and love, love.

"She understands you, Zuko. Many people cannot do that. I have known you this long and yet, I do not understand much about you. You are still mysterious to me in many ways." Toph admitted.

"That is what Aunt Azula says too."

"Then take our advice. How long till you destroy yourself? You cannot live alone forever. You start losing your sense of morals, you will go crazy if you live like that. A person cannot live like that."

"Jet wants her." Zuko stated.

"Jet? Your stepbrother is still alive?" Toph frowned. "I had thought he died years ago."

"No. He is a vampire now, almost a full fledge one too." Zuko told her. "He attacked us three years ago and bit Katara. She has been in a deep sleep until two days ago."

"Has she changed?"

"No, not much, but she can see and hear much better."

"That is not bad, she will be okay." Toph nodded her head. "Is that why you have come to us for help?"

Zuko nodded. "I will be out, trying to find Jet before he can finish his recuperation. I attacked him and hit him hard enough that it will take years to heal, but I think he might as well be well. Nevertheless, I have to go and see if I can find him."

"And you want us to look out for the girl?"

Zuko nodded. "She is a bit stubborn at times, but I have hired some bodyguards. I just want you and Aang to try your best and hide her if trouble comes."

"You know we cannot endanger our kind, even if it is for a mere human."

"Yes, I know, but she could take care of herself. All I am asking is—"

"Say no more." Toph shook her head. "We will try our best to protect her until you come back. "

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Nonsense," Toph grinned. "Now, how long will you be staying?"

"I am leaving tomorrow. Try to keep this quiet until after I am gone then let her know."

"Let me know what?" Katara frowned.

"Quick girl. I did not even hear you approach." Toph complimented.

"Thank you." Katara frowned. "Let me know what, Zuko?"

"It is none of your business, besides we were not talking about you."

"Oh," Katara smiled. "Your Highness—"

"Please, Toph would be just fine."

"Toph," Katara took out the necklace. "I got this, for you."

"My necklace!" Toph gasped. "Where in the world did you find it?"

"In the market." Katara grinned.

"Wonderful! Now we can give this to my daughter."

"Daughter?" Katara blinked.

"Yes. We have a daughter and two sons, one eight years old and the other fifteen."

"I did not know vampires could have—"

"They are not vampires, they are Vampils."

"Oh…I thought…I mean…"

"I did not bite them," Zuko told her. "I merely gave them my blood."

"But are you… I mean…they were almost dead and…"

"They were already Vampils."

"I thought you were the only Vampil on earth!" Katara blurted out.

"Oh no," Toph shook her head. "He is the strongest, but there are a lot of vampires out there who sleep with mortal beings."

"Oh…"

"Yes," Prince Aang came up and put his arms around Toph. "We find them and take care of them, teach them."

"And Zuko?"

"Zuko found us, actually." Aang said. "But it is all good in the end. Come. The food is ready."

The conversation was forgotten as the food was brought out and the dancers dance. Katara still could not believe that everyone living in the hidden forest were all Vampils. She had never met another Vampil besides Zuko. Speaking of Zuko, Katara look around campfire area and found him nowhere.

"May I join you?"

"Of course," Katara moved aside as Toph came to sit with her.

"If you are looking for Zuko, he is with my husband."

"Oh…how long have you two been married?" Katara blurted out, then covered her mouth. "Uhh… never mind."

Toph chuckled. "We have been married for ninety years now."

"Wow…that long?"

"Pretty amazing is it not?"

"Yes." Katara closed her mouth.

"You could ask me if you want." Toph grinned at her.

"Really?" Katara nodded. "I wanted to know…um…do you still…love your husband?"

This time Toph laughed. "Yes, I still do. In fact, I love him so much that if he were to die, I would do the same."

"What about your kids?"

"They can survive on their own. They are no ordinary kids."

"Oh." Katara turn to look at the fire burning in front of her.

"To tell you the truth, love is a strong thing. It only grows for us Vampils. When we love, we love forever and as the years go, so do our love, until we feel we cannot part from each other just for just one moment," Toph blushed. "Forgive me."

"No…no…that is wonderful," Katara sigh. "To have a love like that."

"Yes," Toph look at her very closely. "It is."

"I wish I were to have a love like that."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I wish Zuko could love me like that." Katara said before she could think. She covered her mouth.

"Do not worry, with so many noise, he would not hear you." Toph chuckled. "You think he does not love you?"

"He does, but only like a daughter."

"I do not think so," Toph said with amusement. "I doubt if he had any daughterly feelings towards you."

"But he has never acted…warm around me."

"Has he kissed you?"

Katara nodded and blushed instead of saying yes.

"There you go." Toph nodded her head as if to confirm her answer. "In all my years of living, I have not known or heard of Zuko kissing any one. He is a very quiet and emotionless man, but his feelings go very deep and it takes a very long time to earn his trust, but you seem to do that in just your eighteen years of living. It took Aang and me at least a hundred years just to get him to open up. Even so, he has not open up all the way."

"A hundred years!" Katara's eyes widened. "You are lying."

Toph shook her head.

"He only kissed me once."

"Do not be distraught. He will come around, and when the time comes, are you willing to be his partner? To live with him forever?"

"Yes," Katara nodded her head. "I love him."

"I thought so." Toph seem pleased with Katara's answer.

"Toph," Katara asked. "Zuko said you went crazy after you found out that Aang died. Did you go crazy?"

"He did?" Toph's eyes flared. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing else, that is about it."

"No, I did not go crazy." Toph grinned. "Zuko was joking with you."

Katara blinked. "Joking?"

"Yes. I never went crazy. I understood where I was every time I open my eyes in the morning."

"You mean he was joking with me?"

"Yes, why?"

"He did not even Zukond like he was joking!

"Well…that is him," Toph smiled. "I always told him he was a bad joker."

"So tell me what happened after you jumped off the window."

"You mean, you did not see?"

"No. Zuko told me to come back to him." Katara frowned.

"Well, it is nothing drastic, to tell you the truth. I jumped off the window, faked my own death, and then went in search of Aang."

"He did not die too?"

"No, only that he left me because he thought I betray him." Toph frowned. "It is very stupid, really. After I had told him I love him and had given him my vow, he still thought I betray him."

Katara laughed. "Really? Well, they are a stupid sex."

"When it comes to love." Toph agreed. "Well, I went after him and he did not believe me."

Katara grinned. "Obviously."

"True, but I was mad so I took off."

"How did he find out the truth?"

"My ex-fiancé found him. He was going to kill Aang for revenge against me and he told Aang everything."

"Let me guess, he killed your ex-fiancé and came after you?"

"Yes," Toph's mind drifted off to those years. "However, I did not forgive him immediately."

"What did you do?"

"I led him quite on a chase and forced him to go through quite a few gentlemen in order to get through me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, trouble found me, you could say."

"Ah."

"I managed to get myself accidentally sold to a vampire in an auction. He was a Vampire and he was stronger than me so I could not escape and Aang was quite mad when he found out."

"What did the vampire do to you?"

"He abused me. Not sexually, but physically beat me up when I refused to go to bed with him and I tried to escape, which caused me a good beating."

"I am terribly sorry." Katara told her.

"That is alright. I can speak freely of it now without remembering much."

"I hope Aang killed him."

"He did," Toph told her. "But I ran in the midst of battle. That time, he abused me sexually. I was almost rape. I took off and a human found me. He tended my wounds and he fell in love with me, but he could not love me because I was not human so he tried to kill me instead."

"Aang followed you and saved you?"

"Yes, but by that time, I did not care anymore. I was all ready to die and I almost did, but I was rescued."

"What happened?"

"He stabbed me in the heart and I was in critical condition when Aang found me."

"Found you?"

Toph grinned. "I wanted to die in a forest where my body and Zukol could be surrounded by the animals who, I know, care for me. I crawled to a pond, and that was where Aang found me."

"What about the human who rescued you?"

"I do not know," Toph admit. "Aang would not tell me what happened to him. I asked a couple of times, but he only told me 'never mention that bastard again' so I just gave up."

"If you were in critically condition, how did you survive?"

"Zuko helped me." Toph told her. "We owe Zuko very much."

Katara grinned. "At least it taught him a lesson."

"He never doubted me from then on." Toph frowned. "He also never left me out of his sight."

"So you wanted to talk to me?" Aang seated himself on the grass and lean back against the tree.

"Yeah, I already talked to your wife."

"I assume this is about the girl, Katara."

"Correct."

"And your stepbrother, Jet?"

"Correct again."

"Tell me about it."

"I want you to look out for Katara for me."

"While you are out looking for Jet?"

"You sire, are highly informed."

"I have my connections. I also know that he bit her and she slept for three years."

"You are spying on me?"

"I do not have to do that." Aang grinned. "Go on, I will look after the girl."

"She is my responsibility, but—"

"But you love her, I know." Aang grinned.

"As a daughter," Zuko sighed.

"Most definitely like a daughter," Aang laughed. "You are an extremely bad joker and liar when it comes to me, do you know that?"

Zuko shook his head. "I have to go, so I am trusting you to tell her about it."

"You cannot tell her?"

"I do not want to face her…anger."

"Coward."

"You were one too, when it came to Toph."

"Do not remind me."

"Thank you, Aang."

"You do not have to thank me, after all, if it was not for you, I would have lost Toph."

"It was the least I could do."

"I would have lost her."

"Not if it was not for your pride in the first place."

"Trust me, I regretted it. I should have listened to her in the first place."

"More like you should have trusted in her love."

"Damnit, Zuko. Do not remind me of how stupid I was back then."

Zuko grinned. "I agree you were really stupid. I do not have to remind you though."

"God," Aang rubbed his face. "It scares me every time I think about that bastard who stabbed her nearly to death."

Zuko yawned. "That is right, you never told me what you did to him."

"I never told Toph either." Aang said harshly. "I ripped his heart out."

"Ouch."

"Damn right, then I waited until he died. After that, I left him and went to look for Toph. I came back and nature had already taken its toll on him."

"Well, luckily you found her in time and brought her to me in time."

"I know, and I will never thank you enough. I will do everything in my power to protect your wife, my dear friend."

Zuko scowled. "She is not my wife."

"Soon-to-be." Aang grinned. "I am going to my wife now. Will you be going to your…lover?"

"No, and she is not my lover," Zuko glared at Aang. "Have fun."

"I will." He disappeared.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:** Aw, Toph will be a princess wherever she goes. Was Aang a little ooc? I kind of thought so..

Yeah, I finally updated and I made it extra long for my reviewers! Valentine's day was a blast until my ex-boyfriend and my best friend/brother-like figure started fighting over me... On the dance floor... In front of everyone... What's wrong with some of these boys these days? -w-

Anyway, so I discovered that Fire Nation is the combination of China, Japan, and India but I do not see the India influence besides the spicy food that resemble curry. I'm not really sure about that but I see more of a Chinese influence then anything. w


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though

But I do own Hamaya, she is a made up character for certain uses.

* * *

**Chapter Six**:

_Jealousy and Anger_

* * *

"Dammit!"

"Come out, come out, where ever you are, little vampire hunter." The husky voice whispered through the air, freezing Katara. "You do not have to hide from me, I will make sure you die a painless death."

"Come and get me," Katara whispered, knowing that he could hear. " Come and get me if you can."

"You are asking for it, little girl." The vampire's dagger came out of nowhere and Katara moved, quickly avoiding it.

"You missed." She taunted. "Your skills are getting old."

"No matter," The vampire replied. "You cannot hide forever, little girl."

Katara hissed silently. She hated being called little girl, and he knew it, which was why he was calling her little girl, to get her so mad that she could not concentrate on her kill.

"So, who told you to come kill me?"

"You mean, who hired me?" Katara avoided another fast moving dagger, landing on top of one of the tree trunks.

"Your master, who is your master? You cannot be a vampire because I cannot feel the change in you, but you cannot be human."

"And why can I not be human?" Katara threw her dagger at the figure she saw below her from the tree and moved as another dagger hit the trunk where she had been.

"Very good, you almost got me there," the vampire chuckled silently.

"I am the best," Katara grinned despite herself. She had the best training from the strongest vampil, didn't she?

"Then why is it taking so long to kill me?"

Katara wanted to know herself, but she opened her mouth and said instead, "Because I am merely toying with you, do you not know?" She threw the dagger, this time quicker and removing herself before the vampire could see and hid herself behind one of the trees.

"Ah, cat and mouse games. I so do love them," the male voice laughed. "I so do love the thrill of catching you."

"If you can." Katara was pretty sure that this vampire could not see her, so she launched an attack, boosting herself quietly up in the air and came flying at him. The wind blew at her fast and the leaves brush at her cheeks. She brought her sword out of its hiding place and in front of her. Ready, she counted, one, two—she thrust the sword in front of her, getting ready to cut of the vampire's head, but before she could slice, the vampire turned around and surprised her. She hesitated, just for a second, and that moment's hesitation could have cost her, her life, for the vampire disappeared and reappeared behind her, suddenly grabbing her arm and twisting it.

"Do you think you can sneak on me like that?" the vampire smiled as Katara heard the crack of a bone and then he kicked her right in the stomach as he twisted her around to see her face, which was covered by a mask.

Katara still had enough strength, even though she felt like fainting from the pain of the broken wrist, or was that a broken arm? She didn't care; she didn't have time to fool around. She had to get away. She could not kill him with this kind of injury, with a cry; she threw her many daggers at him, six of them to be exact with her good arm as she hit the ground. Without looking to see how much damage she had inflicted, she turned, standing up in the process and disappeared into the woods.

"Damn you!" The vampire cried as he pulled the three out of the six daggers that she had thrown out of him. One had stabbed his shoulder while two of them had gotten his chest, one just barely missing his heart. "You can run, but you cannot hide!" He roared and flew right after her, ignoring the leave branches that slam across his face and his arms. His only intent was on following the heartbeat of the human that had just injured him.

Katara was breathing harshly as she stopped and leaned against a tree. She did not look behind her to see if she was being chased. Her heart was pounding and she could not seem to get enough air into her system. Her arm was broken, and it was her good arm, and her face was bleeding from the scratches it had endured.

"There you are!" Katara had time just enough to turn around before the vampire slammed into her and threw her body across the forest. Katara tried to steady herself so that her feet would touch the tree behind her, but her mind was too weak, and she slammed into the tree instead, taking the air out of her.

"A mere human, weakling," the vampire floated towards her. "Your master is dumb for sending a mere weakling like you to kill me. You shall die for his mistake." The vampire kicked her once again in the stomach. "But first, let me see that pretty face of yours."

Katara opened one eye to look at the vampire in front of her. "My master is more of a master than you are, animal." She whispered, her voice too weak to shout at him.

"Foolish!" The vampire stepped on her chest. "You dare talk back to me while in your state?"

Katara tried to push his feet off her chest, but he held on.

"Struggling will only hurt you more," he smiled evilly at her. "Impressive, even in the eyes of death you are not afraid to die." He stated.

Katara stabbed his leg and he moved back with a roar. "Goddamn!"

Katara got up while she can as she grinned foolishly at the vampire before her. "Never underestimate your enemy." She told him.

Before Katara could react, the dagger that Katara had stabbed at him came whirling at her, straight towards her heart, and luckily Katara shifted so it pierced her left shoulder instead of her chest. "You missed me." She taunted. She dropped to the ground on one knee, staring at him with one eye opened. God, she felt so weak. She knew she should have waited until Zuko came, but she had been too mad, too angry, and she had thought that this vampire would be easy to kill. She would pay for her mistake, she thought as her head tipped forward, her eyes struggling to stay awake. She brought her good hand in front of her to steady herself.

"You cannot even stand up," the vampire came at her. "I shall make your death as painful as I can." He came at her.

Katara closed her eyes, the strength leaving her immediately. She did not want to die, not now when she had never got the chance to tell Zuko how she felt. Katara opened her eyes just in time to see someone else emerging from the darkness and slamming into the vampire. The vampire flew back, a mile away and slammed into a tree.

"You foolish girl!" Zuko's eyes flared red as he turned to face her on the ground. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Katara grinned up at her hero. "I am killing him for you."

"Killing him? More like he is doing me a favor." He snarled.

"I am glad to see you, too." Katara's eyes closed as she fell to the ground.

"Ah, you are her master are you not?" The figure materialized in front of Zuko.

Zuko moved back and picked Katara up before the figure could do anything with Katara and stared at the vampire before him.

"Zuko, you are the famous Vampil I have heard so much about?" The vampire grinned. "Who is that? Your lover? You send your lover to do your dirty work?" He laughed.

Zuko came flying at him with Katara in his arms. He twisted and kicked the vampire in the face and then in the chest. "I am just here to rescue her." He told the vampire coldly. "But I will be back for you, and to repay you in kind." He disappeared into thin air.

Zuko's heart beat heavily against his chest as he set Katara down on the bed. He was furious with her and he also feared for her. God, she was driving him nuts! He had told her he was going to come back before they kill Wei Jin, one of the most wanted vampires in the world, but he should have know better. Katara had not listened to him, she had gone off and found Wei by herself and had attempted to kill him by herself.

He moved Katara a little and she cried out in pain. His hand moved back as if he had been electrify and stared at her. He gently touched her right shoulder, she wince but didn't cry out in pain. He pulled the dagger out of her shoulder and she gave a cry. Working quickly, he wiped the blood away from her shoulder and put his palm against it, to stop the blood, but to also heal it as well. A minute later when there were no longer any wound there, Zuko went to study her left shoulder.

"No!" Katara twisted in her sleep as Zuko touched her arm gently.

It was broken, he thought grimly as tried to hold her still. She was going to be the death of him, he was sure, but before then, he was going to do his damnest best to teach her a lesson. Without another thought about the pain he was going to inflict on her, he grabbed her arm and twisted it back into the knot. She cried out in pain, this time louder than before and whimpered silently when he was done. He took a deep breath and sat back. Yes, he thought. She was damn going to be the death of him.

Katara woke up feeling dirty but free of pain. She was smiling, expecting Zuko to wait on her, but he was gone. Twice she had woken up in the night to see Zuko sitting next to her, and now he was gone, the place he had been sitting had vanished, as if he was never there. Katara frowned. She did not dream it all, she was pretty sure that she had gotten her arm broken and her shoulder stabbed along with a couple of bruises here and there, but she felt good as new. She stood up too quickly and was surprised by the sudden dizziness that came over her as well as the stars in her eyes.

"Steady," the voice came out of nowhere.

Katara shook her head. "Zuko, is that you?"

"Yes," he answered. "Are you feeling better?"

Katara didn't even think, she flung herself into his arms. "Thank you, Zuko."

"For what?" He asked with an amused look on his face.

She buried her face into his chest. "I am sorry I did not listen to you yesterday."

Zuko put his arms around her. "You better be sorry. I should really punish you for disobeying my order."

"But you will not." Katara grinned, as she looked up at Zuko. "I will promise to listen to you as much as I can from now on."

"Which will not be much at all," Zuko muttered.

Katara giggled. "I will try."

She looked so good and fresh that before Zuko could think, he had leaned down and brush his mouth across hers, surprising the hell out of him—and her.

"That is the third time." Katara said, in awe.

Zuko managed not to chuckle under her surprised stare. "I hope you have enough rest for today."

"Yes," she nodded eagerly, getting out of his arm. "I am ready."

"For what?"

"For the mission!" She said. "We are going to kill Wei, are we not?"

"Yes, but not yet," Zuko admitted. He was going to kill him by himself; he was not going to take Katara along with him. Not this time, there was a big chance that Wei might use her against him.

"Not yet!" Katara frowned. "Why not? Do you think I am not good enough? With you there, I can kill him within three minutes."

"Do not be so boastful," he told her. "We will go in our own time. While waiting, you should visit Toph and her kids. You have promised them a visit." He suggested. "I will call you when I am ready."

**No you are not.**

Katara sent the thought to him.

**You are going to kill him by yourself.**

**And what if I am? **

Zuko answered back.

**Then I will go by myself as well, **Katara answered back stubbornly.

**You have promised to listen to me, **Zuko threatened.

**I said I would try, **Katara answered furiously. **I am going out.**

Zuko did not bother to stop her as he watch her stomp angrily away.

Katara went far, very far. In fact, she had gone right into the very town that Wei Jin himself, resided in. She didn't have to go far before she heard the ruckus. A bell was ringing, a very big bell, which was a very important event, she decided because everyone was running, big people and small people, all in one direction. She decided to join in the crowd.

She stopped before a crowd and made her way into the crowd so she could see what everyone was so excited about, and she found herself staring at a servant, or a gentleman dress as a servant. When everyone was gathered, he raised his arms to silence them.

"My good people," he said in a loud, masculine voice. "I have called this announcement because my master, the powerful and wealthy Wei Jin is in dire need of a wife." He paused for effect. "As you all have heard, his wife from the foreign country has caught illness and died three years ago. He is out of mourning now, and feel that he should take on a wife, however, he does not want just any wife."

Everyone was quiet now, waiting for the next speech. Katara was amused. Wei Jin was in dire need of a wife? She stifled a chuckle. This was obviously a trap. Just yesterday he was going to die and today he was looking for a wife. She knew, just as she knew her first name, that this was a trap, a very good trap to lure her out. She listened anyway, knowing that it was a trap and that she was going to participate because her killer instinct could not let such a challenge go without issuing it first.

"He is setting up a ball, a party and he asks that every maiden in every town be invited to his wonderful mansion up on the hill where he will take the time to court and to fall in love. The lucky lady who steals his heart will be married as his wife in three nights, starting tonight. He knows that it is not quite a very long time to fall in love, but he is pretty sure he will find one to his…" the servant paused and stare out into the crowd as if willing someone else to appear,"…liking."

With that he got down from the stage and disappeared. Katara disappeared along with the crowd with a grin on her face, just like all the other ladies in the crowd. She knew who he was looking for, and she was going to turn his trap back against him.

"I am coming for you, Wei," she whispered as she disappeared into the crowd.

"Coming for you, and you better be ready."

Katara avoided conversation as she held herself apart from the group of ladies. She was waiting, patiently for the man who called himself Wei to appear. In the dark of the night, she had not seen him very well and she was looking forward to seeing how he look with the lights on and everything, she doubted he was going to look very ugly, for rarely were any vampires she had seen ugly. All the vampires she had seen and killed so far were deadly, handsome, and they had charm and grace and everything a woman could dream of. Zuko had told her once why she had not succumbed to one of their deadly charms, but she had refused to answer him. The answer was simply: she had fallen for no one else's charms, but Zuko's, so their vampire charms could not harm her.

While deep in her thought, Katara had missed the music announcing Wei's arrival, but she saw his arrival, and she had to admit, it was pretty magnificent the way he made an introduction. He was pretty handsome himself; dress in, not the usual style, but a different style, foreign style with strange black pants and a black shirt that went along with the black pants. She had heard from Zuko that it was known as a tuxedo, and it was what foreign men wear to formal balls or parties.

She was thankful to not be one of the girls that were sighing over him. Yes, his emerald green eyes did leave you feeling as if you were the only one alive in the world for him, and his wonderful dark brown hair made him look almost savage and out of place would send your heart a beating, he was still no match for Zuko, Zuko with his wonderful golden eyes and long straight hair—.

"Ma'am?"

Katara grinned as she pulled herself out of her dream. "Hello."

"Do you not think he is a handsome devil?" The lady beside her sighed.

**He is the devil himself,** Katara thought. "Yes, he is quite handsome, is he not?"

She turned her head sideways to look at her. "You do not appear too excited about this."

Katara coughed. "Oh…it is just that…my fiancé had just died three weeks before and my parents want me to come here to see if I can find true happiness."

"Oh," the lady patted her hand. "It is okay, I am sure you will like him."

**Not on your life, **Katara thought.

"Look, he is coming this way!" The lady giggled as she patted her hair. "Do I look good, wonderful?"

For a second, Katara feared that he knew who she was, which probably explains why he was coming their way, but she kept her fear at bay. He was a vampire, he could read and hear her thoughts, her heart.

"Ah, why are two beautiful young ladies standing here, alone in the dark for?" He came up and kissed both of their hands.

"We are just talking," the lady blushed.

Katara smiled. "Yes, talking."

"You should be out there, enjoying yourself." He smiled warmly at them and had he not hit Katara, she would have thought him harmless.

"I cannot, sir, I am afraid I am shy." The lady said. "Forgive me, I am Suki of the Fa family."

"Kya," It was the first name that came out of nowhere. "Kya, sir."

"I am pleased to meet your two," he bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself—"

"No need, sir," Katara answered in a cheerful voice. "You know why we are here and we are here because you command us and so it is obvious who you are."

The lady beside her, Suki, gasped at her rudeness.

He grinned. "Ah, that is so."

Katara nodded her head. "Excuse me, but I must get going."

"Where are you going?" Wei asked.

"Somewhere." Katara bowed and slipped away.

"That girl needs to learn some manners," Suki shook her head. "Please, sir, forgive her—" When she looked up, he was gone.

Katara sigh as she leaned against the tree trunk. Where was Zuko tonight, she wondered, was he thinking about her now, is he even thinking of her at all? She grinned to herself, oh well, knowing Zuko, he was probably too busy to even think about her once, but then again, he did save her, more than once. She owed him that much.

"What is such a beautiful girl like you doing out here alone this late?" The voice interrupted Katara's thoughts.

"Oh," Katara didn't even hear him come up, was he that quiet? "Mr. Jin, hello again, sir."

He nodded. "Please, call me Wei."

**I do not usually call my preys by their first names**, Katara thought to herself, but outside she was smiling. "Yes…Wei."

He grinned, "So…what brings you here?"

Katara didn't return the grin. "Nothing, I was bored at home."

He pretended to be wounded. "You came here merely for the fun of it?"

Katara shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "If that is what you prefer to call it."

"Are you not," he moved forward so he stood in front of her, "interested in my…manly charms?"

"No," Katara moved back so her back stood stiffly against the tree trunk. "I am not interested."

"Very interesting," he murmured to himself. "And why is that?"

"Because I already am in love with someone else," Katara blurted out, which was true, she was in love with someone else. "But he died." Which was not true, he was very much alive and very much the man she love.

"Ah," he shook his head. "I am terribly sorry for your loss."

"So am I," Katara answered truthfully. "So am I."

"So, Kya, may I ask your last name?"

Katara shook her head. "I cannot tell you, sir."

"And why is that?"

"Because it is a secret." She grinned. "What are you doing out here? Do not tell me you have already a girl in mind and is going to silently court her."

"No, I have no girl in mind yet," he returned the grin. "But I think I might have someone in mind."

Katara's heart beat. He did not mean her did he? God, she hoped not, and she hoped so, for this would fit very well into her plans, but where and how would Zuko fit into her plans? She frowned at that thought.

"Why is there now a frown on your face when awhile ago there was a smile?" He stepped closer to her.

Katara coughed and moved to the side so she would not be trapped. "I was just thinking, very badly of someone."

"I hope it was not me."

She shook her head. "No, not you, someone I use to know, a very long time ago."

Wei leaned against the tree trunk while Katara stood off to one side. "So tell me about your family."

She shook her head. "There is not much to tell, just that my father and mother died when I was young and I live with my Aunt. I fell in love with this farmer, and we were to be wed, but he died while coming home one night, being killed by…some thugs, and I have been living with my Aunt in mourning ever since."

"T'is a sad story," He told her.

"And what about you?" Her eyes gleamed mischievously, "do you have any line of broken hearts along the way? Any family left behind?"

"Nah, there is not much girl, and my wife died just years ago, so I find myself wanting to marry again. My family died a very, very long time ago, so I am alone in the world."

Katara nodded. "I know how that feels," she answered truthfully. And Zuko's parents also must have died a very, very, long time ago.

Wei stared at the girl in front of him. Yes, he was sure this was the one he wanted to be his wife. She was different, more pure than the rest of the girls in the main room of his. Their bloods had already been tainted by a man's, but this one, this one was still innocent, and very much what he was looking for in a girl. He had not thought to find someone like her here, in truth, he had only thought of this to bring out the killer lady and Zuko, who had mysteriously disappeared. This was all just an act, and he was hoping on getting himself some very good ladies for the night. This one he would have to guard well, he thought. He would choose this one when the time comes, yes, and she would be his. It would be an added bonus if he could find who the real lady-killer was though.

"Would you like me to escort you inside?" He asked. "It is getting cold."

"No," She shook her head. "You go on ahead, I want to stay out here for a little while longer."

Wei wanted to stay and talk with her a little longer, but he had to go inside. After all, he was the host and he still had a houseful of sweet young girls inside waiting just to be bitten. "I wish you well until tomorrow." He bowed.

Katara nodded and disappeared.

Wei sorely wanted to follow her, but he turned the opposite ways instead. Just in case she decides to run away, he will have to get one of his slaves to watch over her. He grinned. He could hardly wait.

Katara's plan was working exceptionally well for someone of her age. Though she had not seen Zuko at all within the two nights she had been staying in Wei's mansion, she was pretty sure he was going to show up sooner or later. In the meantime, Katara found excitement by exploring the mansion and the hidden areas surrounding the mansion. She was sure to be hidden among the shadows all the time and was alert for any other vampire scents. What she found out amazed her, for there were no vampire slaves. Either Wei kept no slaves for himself, or he kept them locked up so that they could not amuse themselves with these wonderful ladies here.

She strolled along, watching the sunset. It was the third night, the final night that Wei was going to make a decision. He had been hinting at her who he was going to pick as his wife, and she was nervous because she had an idea who it was. What made her nervous was the fact that did he know that she was the assassin, or was he really interested and intrigued by her? She wanted to find out so that if she was going to walk into a trap she would be prepare, but his mind was kept close to her at all times and even if she did breach that wall of his, he would know anyway, whether or not someone was reading his mind. She had felt more than once when he was trying to read her mind, but pretended to be oblivious to all because she was a human, only a dumb foolish human who knew nothing about vampires and Vampils and all that stuff.

Zuko angrily watched as Katara flirted with Wei for two whole damn nights. He watched as she strolled carelessly back and forth like the lady she should have been, would have been if he had not taken her under his wing and train her. He watched with a deep burning inside him because he admit, he missed her by his side. He missed her humorless attempt to get him to laugh, to amuse him. He missed her laughter and everything about her. And while he missed her, he was damn mad at her as well. He should have known that Katara might do something as stupid as this, to walk into a trap that was so obvious to him. But he had faith in her. He had taught his pupil well and he knew as he knew his own blood and kind, that Katara had something up her sleeve, he did not know what, but he knew, and he feared for her life. He could have made contact with her, but he dared not. He had not because Wei was a strong vampire. He had studied the black arts even longer than Zuko had, and he was a vicious killer. He was almost as old as Zuko himself was. If he made contact, there was a chance Wei might know, and he might attack. He didn't want anything happening to her because he was going to kill her himself.

When she had not returned home, he thought she had gone to the Prince and Princess, but when he made contact, she had never appeared there. Instead, he had found out that Wei had wanted a new wife for he was over mourning his first wife, and Katara was one of those ladies in there, just waiting to be eaten by the wolf. He knew for sure, that Katara was going to go down no matter what because in the face of a two-century year old vampire, she was not strong enough, but she was not going to go down without a fight.

He murmured angrily as he turned and disappeared into the forest.

"Zukonds like your woman there has found herself in deep water."

Zuko didn't answer Aang as he strolled past him. "I am going tonight. Tonight is when he shall have his pick of his wife and his scapegoat and sacrificed it to the Goddess of Desire. The moon is almost aligned with the three Dark Stars."

"I am impressed that you even know these arts." Aang grinned at Zuko.

"I have not studied both the good and evil arts for naught," Zuko told his friend coldly. "It is obvious that his foreign wife was killed to appease the god not but three years ago. Tonight is the real ritual, the opening ceremony. After midnight is where he will kill the new scapegoat and then marry the wife he has chosen."

"Why do I have a feeling I know who that wife or rather, scapegoat, will be?" Aang questioned.

Zuko did not answer. "We go tonight."

"Very well, I will try to help as many of the ladies as I can."

"He will not harm the ones he did not pick for it will bring suspicion," Zuko told him. "Nevertheless, you are to watch your back and kill the undead."

"And here I thought I was the prince," Aang sigh. "I am just a good for nothing prince, letting my friend issuing all the commands."

Zuko gave a faint smile. "You, my friend, are just a prince in name. I, on the other hand, am the one true prince, the one that your uncle has left his powers to."

"I am dreadfully jealous," he mocked Zuko.

"I believe you are."

"No," Aang replied seriously. "I am glad that I do not hold the power."

Zuko didn't answer.

"You do not have to be alone in this, cousin. A bride has finally come to you at last, you do not have to spend your years alone."

"That I cannot do." Zuko told him. "Come, let us find shelter for your wife and kids."

Aang watched as his bastard cousin disappeared deeper into the forests. He shook his head, and then followed behind.

Katara nervously finger the red veil in front of her. Just as she had known, she was the chosen bride, the one forever to be linked with Wei. She had played her part well enough, pretend to not be interested in him and then be interested in him, pretend to evade some of the question, to act mysterious. Vampires most often, were and is always in intrigued rather than in love, and she had played her part of getting Wei madly and deeply intrigued with her enough to want to marry her. All she needed now was a chance to get at Wei, and then she can finally prove to Zuko that she did not need his help at least, all of the time.

"Are you ready?"

Katara jumped.

"I am sorry, mi'lady, did I frighten you?" The servant bowed.

"No," she managed a small laugh. "You just surprised me, I am just nervous."

The servant smiled warmly at her. "It is nothing. The master is a kind master once you get to know him. He is wonderfully rich and very powerful as well."

**Ohhh, I am impressed, **Katara thought. "Yes," she smiled warmly. "But that is not why I am marrying your master."

"We believe you will cherish our master well," the servant bowed and stepped out. "Please, whenever you are ready."

Katara smiled and turned back to look at herself in the mirror. Her face was all covered with make-up, which made her look quite ill, but pale and beautiful. Her lips, which she had never thought were this big, were painted red, her bottom lip fuller than the top. Her eyelashes were long and curly with gave an exotic look about her. She had been changed, and she felt wonderful, magically wonderful, like a true vampire bride.

"Mi'lady?"

"Not yet," she answered, and then she turned to look at the human size mirror next to her and gaze at herself in the mirror. The lady looking back did not look like her, yet it was her. She was wearing a red dress that covered all of her body except her shoulders, which were left bare. The dress curved at her breasts and flounced everywhere, not revealing once inch of her curve, but enough to make a man wonder. The long red scarf, she wrapped around her shoulders, covering her neck and most of her bare shoulders. She wrapped the ends around each of her arm and left them dangling. Then she settled the small, but beautifully made crown of ruby around her head after putting a circular ring on her head that had a veil to cover her face. In the middle of her chest was a singular red rose that was frozen, frozen in time, and it shone brightly as she turned around and around to look at herself. She was amazed at how much a dress and make-up could do to a person.

Katara stepped out of the room, grinning. Zuko was going to be here tonight, she knew it, could feel it, and with her looking like she was, he was going to fall madly and deeply in love with her, that was for sure.

Wei was waiting for her.

Atop the big mansion was a flat rooftop, which was where the ceremony will take place. She had already learned from the servant that the other ladies had already been sent home, disappointed. She didn't mind though, because they would not like being married to him anyway. Sure he had acted charmingly when around her and the other ladies, but Katara knew the real him, and she had a feeling the real Wei Jin was going to be revealed tonight.

She climbed slowly because dressed as she was, she couldn't really move really fast. There were quite a few stairs to come, but she really didn't mind. She was holding a candle, and she was the only one climbing the stairs. It was dark, and she was feeling excited and nervous at the same time. Her mind was whirling, not focusing on one thing long enough; it was swarming all over her mind. She took a deep breath, and steadied herself. She could not fail; she had made it this far!

She reached the top of the stairs and saw Wei waiting for her. He was sitting on a chair, a really big chair, but he seemed to loom over the chair instead of the chair looming over him. His clothes were no longer the foreign clothes and instead he was wearing a big black cloak made out of silk. It shone in the moonlight. His dark hair gleamed in the moonlight as well, white streaks across his hair. They were longer now; reaching his shoulders, and fell across his face, long and straight, narrowed, but silky to the touch. His golden eye gleamed in the dark at her, with hunger, with passion, she did not know, but if she had not been so charmed with Zuko, she would have forgotten herself when those eyes gaze over her hungrily. For her blood? For her body? She shuddered. Her body chilled, this one even had the eyes of the ancients.

"At last, my wife has arrived." He announced in his husky voice. "Welcome at last, to my home. I have never truly welcomed you."

Katara didn't say anything; she gave the impression of being afraid, nervous.

"Do not worry," he touched his chin with his thumb and forefinger, his arm leaning against one of the arms on the chair. "Come here."

Katara obeyed, walking slowly until she was standing inches apart from him.

"Not one word?" His eyes gleamed. "Not one word for your soon-to-be-husband?"

"No," Katara said loud and clear. "I did not wish to be picked."

"Ah, but you have been picked." He stood up and the chair disappeared. He leaned over her and his lips brush her ears under the red veil. "Be thankful you were not chosen as the scapegoat."

Katara stiffened even more, but didn't say anything.

He laughed softly. "Do you want to know who I picked for my scapegoat?"

"What do you mean, scapegoat?" Katara asked. "I thought you were allowed only one wife."

"Ah, I am, and I choose you," his forefinger slid across her cheek under the veil that hid her face. "Beautiful, very beautiful."

Katara remained calm. She was not really going to marry him; she was going to kill him.

He turned away from her and someone else appeared on the scene. Someone that was tied to two very long poles, someone dressed in purple, and that someone was a lady. She didn't have her face covered and she wasn't covered in much. A purple cloth was wrapped around her body, and underneath, she was naked. She was standing like a statue, unmoving, but she was blinking. Both her wrists were tied with chains, each to a pole.

"Suki?" Katara gasped.

"Ah, yes, that is her name," Wei chuckled as he went over to her. "She was a little of a dessert, you could say."

"What are you saying?" Katara backed away. This was cruel, even though Suki probably deserved it, but she was a human, and humans were susceptible to charms and being hypnotized. Suki was in a trance, no longer knowing anything around her, no longer seeing, just sensing her surroundings and craving the bite of her master.

"Do not worry, Kya," Wei chuckled. "I do not want you to die. You are to be my wife instead."

"And what is she to become?"

"Why, my scapegoat. Do you not know that every three years, once the moon is aligned with the Dark Stars, the Goddess of Desire desires a sacrifice?"

Katara's anger flared, "I do not know what you mean by a sacrifice, for I know not of a God or Goddess of Desire, but I shall have your head and your heart!" She flew at him, surprising him. The crown and the veil were thrown away. This time, she did not hesitate, and she plunge her sword into his chest, right where his heart was. He fell back, eyes wide, and hit the ground, unmoving. She got him, right in the heart. Grinning, she turned to look at Suki, who should be coming out of her trance. It was easier than she had thought. She had thought him harder to kill, but—she shook Suki, who was still not out of her trance yet.

"Suki!" She yelled. "What are you doing? Can you not hear me? Out! Out of the trance you silly girl!"

Suki did not move an inch, and Katara frowned. If Suki was not out of her trance, that meant that—

"No!" She turned around and saw that the body had disappeared. Her sword was lying there instead.

"Yes!" Suki's voice came out of nowhere and before Katara could react, the chains that were around Suki's wrists disappeared and they were now chained on Katara.

"Perfect," a voice came out of nowhere. "This is getting more interesting by the minute, do you not agree, Suki?" Wei appeared out of nowhere, the same handsome face, the same clothes, this time there were no sword plunged into his chest.

"Yes, she is so stupid." Suki giggled.

"What the hell are you doing?" Katara snarled at Suki, attempting to rid herself of the chains around her wrist, but they only tightened. "Siding with that—that demon!"

"He is no demon!" Suki hugged his waist. "He is just a very strong and powerful man. You tried to kill him, and for that I will never forgive."

"What are you saying?" Katara's eyes widened.

"That she is madly in love with me." Wei's rich voice spoke up. "Are you not, darling."

Suki giggled again and snuggled more closely to Wei's body.

Katara saw the small holes at Suki's neck. "You monster, you bit her!"

"Correct," his strong fingers wrapped around Suki's throat, "but she is of no use to me now. She has already been sacrificed. The blood already sipped. Do not worry, dear Katara, you shall live to be my wife."

"What are you saying?" Suki's shrill scream pierced the air. "You said I would be your wife, you promised! You told me—"

Katara's face turned away as Wei's hands slid to her lips to silence her, and then when she was quiet and staring at him, his hands crept down to her slender neck, grasp it and twisted it.

"The scapegoat has been sacrificed." He said, and then he threw her lifeless body across the roof. It landed two feet away from him, but he paid no attention to where it landed. Instead, he turned to face her. "And now, I am ready for my wife."

"Get away from me," Katara pulled the chains. "Let me go."

"I should have known that you were Katara," Wei shook his head sadly. "You fell for my trap just like a fly in a spider web." He sighed. "This proves my skills are lacking. Even so, you came."

Katara didn't say anything.

"You should feel honored," Wei laughed, "that I do not have to kill you now, instead, you will become my wife."

Katara glared at him. "I refuse to be your pitiful wife. Kill me instead. I would rather die then become a vampire, any vampire's wife!"

"Tsk, tsk," the vampire pointed his finger at her. "That is a very bad thing to say to your husband."

Katara's struggle grew fierce. "Let me go and fight me like last time instead."

"That I cannot do," he shook his head sadly. "The time is almost upon us." He strolled past her and then behind her. "I am sorry, but I will have to bite you. This will hurt, but only for a few seconds, after that you will know pleasure beyond anything you have ever felt before." He said against her ear as he closed his arms around her waist and brought his hands up to hold her still.

"I cannot, for some reason, hypnotize you, do you know that?" He kissed her neck, the part where he was going to bite her. "For some reason, I cannot breach that wall of yours. But it does not matter now, after tonight, you are mine to command and to do as I please."

"I will not become a play thing for you," Katara said savagely against him. "You have my mind and my body, but you can never have my heart."

Wei's fang lengthened he chuckled. "Very soon, I will have your heart no matter what." He brought his fang down, almost touching her skin, but a sudden change in the air stopped him.

"A thunderstorm?" He stood up, willing his fang to shrink, his eyes seriously searching the surroundings.

Katara gave a sigh of relief, whatever it was; she was going to kiss it because it just saved her from getting bite.

"Ah, a thunderstorm," Wei's humor came back, "Ah yes, a thunderstorm. Welcome, Zuko. You have finally decided to join us."

Katara's heart leaped. Zuko? He was here?

"Let the girl go." Zuko's dark voice came out of nowhere. "This is our battle, she has nothing to do with it."

"Oh yes she does," Wei's voice was no longer charming; it had turned cold. "She has everything to do with it."

"If you seek revenge, seek it with me, not with her."

"What is this girl to you?"

Katara waited for the answer, and when the answer came, it broke her heart.

"The girl is nothing. She is just a pupil I took under my wing. Let her go and fight me instead."

The thunder crashed, and lightening flashed. Zuko's figure was to the left, or was that right of hers?

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," Wei cackled. "She is everything to you. And I shall kill her, destroy her, just like how you destroyed my Song."

"Your grudge goes back a long time," Zuko's voice remained calm while the thunderstorm raged against them.

"You killed her, and I shall take your lover—you friend, away from you too." Wei's voice grew ugly. "Tonight she will become my wife."

"If you get past me, you can have her," Zuko was suddenly in front of her. "Done deal?"

"Get past you? Hah! I shall do more than that, I shall drink her blood for you to watch, like you had with Song."

Katara closed her eyes; she was no longer standing, but was instead, being hold up by the chains that were chained to her wrists. "You drank the blood of a vampire?"

Zuko's eyes glanced behind his shoulder, at her. "It was the only way to gain more power."

"Yes, and you wanted more did you not?" Katara said harshly. "Power was—is everything to you…you cannot let it go—for love, for trust. You cling to your power, thinking it will save you in the end, but it will not."

Zuko ignored her remark. "Rest. I will handle everything from here."

Katara refused. "I will watch you kill him, and then I will know for sure how cold your heart really is, and how I can not reach it." Katara was feeling weak, but she didn't care. She was going to watch; she was going to see how much of a cold-blooded murder the man she loved was. She was feeling cold, she was shivering from the rain, but she didn't care, not anymore. Not with the hole that was in her heart.

Katara shook her head to remove the water from her hair; her hands were still chained—chained? She looked at her hands; no they were no longer chained. "What—?" She stared at her hands as if never seeing them before, and then she looked up at Zuko's back.

With a flip of his hand, Zuko and everything else disappeared. She found herself in similar surroundings, she was surrounded by her old stuffs once more; she was once again, "…home." She murmured.

She was in dry clothes and no longer wearing Wei's wedding clothes that he had given to her. After a minute, she found herself drifting off to sleep instead.

"Sure, send the lady away," Wei sneered. "So she will not have to see how ugly you get."

"Song did not abide by her vows," Zuko said calmly, coldly. "She killed, not to feed, but for fun. She killed and drank them dry, she did not just take one sip, but she took all of their blood. She broke her promise to the prince, and she broke her promise to her own kind. As a protector, I swore to the King himself before he passed away that I will watch over his people, I will judge to kill or not to kill, and she, I judged to kill. You, I save, but I should have known you would go crazy. Very well," he held his arm out. "I shall send you to your lover. You wish to be dead for more than a century now, and now I have the right to grant you that wish."

Zuko moved before Wei could even blink, his sword went swiftly and quietly through Wei's neck, and then Zuko was behind him, his back to Wei. They were back to back. Zuko stood up from his fighting stance just as the head of Wei Jin fell off his very own body.

Zuko turned around and was not surprised to see the body crawling towards its head, which had rolled a couple of feet away. He moved slowly because at the rate of which the body was crawling, it was going to take forever to reach.

"You have studied the dark arts," Zuko continued on, as if nothing has happened, "but that does not make you stronger than me. I have lived only one century longer than you, but I am still stronger, I am still the wiser. I would have left you alone had you not kill, but you have killed." He grasps the end of his sword with both hands. "You have sipped dry the blood of humans, you have toyed with their hearts and their minds. You have killed for naught but pain and pleasure, and you have broken your sacred vow to our master, to the King. It is now within my right to send you to meet our master whether in hell or in heaven." With that, Zuko plunged the sword deep into the heart of Wei. He twisted the sword around to make sure there was no living piece left, and then finally when the body stopped moving, he slowly pulled the sword out.

Zuko turned and took Katara's sword and then went back to Wei's body, the voice of Katara's words haunting him: '**Power was—is everything to you…you cannot let it go—for love, for trust. You cling to your power, thinking it will save you in the end, but it will not…it will not…**' Minutes later, Zuko poured some saki over the grave of Wei Jin and Song Homiki while the home of Wei's roared in flames. "Go in peace, my friends." He poured all of the saki and then threw the bottle away into the flames and disappeared.

**No, it will not save me, **he thought. **There was a time when I thought power was not everything, a time when Song and Wei were still the same people I knew, the same vampires, but that was a long time ago. They betrayed my trust, killed my family and my friends, that is why…Katara, I cannot trust in love—in anything—anymore…. **

Zuko silently nodded to the doctor. "Thank you for coming and seeing her."

"You have already done enough," the doctor smiled kindly at Zuko. "Her fever is rising dramatically, and her body is doing its best to fight off the fever. It is by her will alone, whether she lives or she dies. I cannot do much now that my work here is done."

"Thank you," Zuko bowed.

"Your wife has a strong spirit," the doctor grinned at her. "She will live, no doubt about it."

Zuko nodded again and didn't say anything.

She was dreaming.

Her family was to her left; Zuko was to her right. Her family was calling to her. They wanted her to take their hands, to follow them. She didn't want to go. She wanted to follow Zuko, she belonged to Zuko, but he was not calling out to her, he was just staring at her. He was not extending his hand; he was not doing anything to encourage her.

"Zuko?" She called to him. "Are you not even going to ask me to stay? Are you just going to let me go?"

Zuko looked at her. "To stay, to go, it is by your decision alone," he told her, his voice echoing in the dark dimension. "I will not decide for you, cannot decide for you." Then he turned away, as if expecting her to leave with her parents, as if already knowing her decision. Her eyes widened, and then she smiled. She turned back to look at her parents, she took a step towards them and that was it.

"I cannot go this time," she smiled at her mother, at her father, at her uncle and everyone else. "I have someone else now."

Her mother nodded. "Go with care."

Her father smiled. "You go and get him."

Her uncle smirked. "You are my little niece, be a good girl until your time, will you?"

Katara nodded, and then she turned back. "Zuko!" She called, waving her hand. "Zuko, wait for me! I am coming back. I am coming back to you!"

When Zuko opened his eyes the next morning, it was to find the familiar black eyes looking at his, the familiar eyelashes, and the familiar mouth that he had kissed.

"HI!" She called out loudly.

Zuko nearly fell off his chair. "What the—"

Before he could react, Katara flung herself at him. "I am here to stay. I am so sorry for all the trouble I have caused, and I am so sorry about what I said to you about power and not believing in love and trusts." She was talking so fast, but she didn't care, she now realized why Zuko acted the way he did. "I will not leave you, not ever, ever again." She vowed.

Zuko was too shocked to say anything. He was not expecting an apology from her, and he was not expecting her to fling herself at him like this.

"Katara, are you sure you are alright?" Zuko pressed his forehead against hers. "Your fever seems to be down."

"I am alright," Katara pushed Zuko away from her. "I feel fine. Are you going to be busy today?"

He was about to shake his head, but caught himself in time. "Yes I have something to do."

"Oh," Katara frowned. "Your mission?"

He nodded.

"May I go with you?"

Zuko shook his head. "No."

"Fine," Katara sigh. "When are you leaving?"

"As soon as you are well."

Katara frowned again. "You mean you would have gone sooner if I did not become so ill?"

Zuko refused to answer. "Are you sure you feel much better?"

Katara beamed at him. "Thank you for not abandoning me," she reached up and brush her mouth across his. "There."

It shocked the hell out of Zuko that he just stood there and stared at her.

"May I at least have permission to visit Princess Toph and Aang and their family?"

Zuko was too shock so he nodded his head instead.

Katara grinned. "I am getting out of bed, is it okay if I get out of bed, Zuko?"

"Just be careful," Zuko told her.

"I will, I do not want to get my fever again." She stretched. "Zuko, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"It is a very, very, dark secret." She said cheerfully.

"Then why are you so cheerful?" Zuko muttered.

"Because it is not dark to me, but I think it will be dark to you," she told him.

"I do not understand you."

"I do not understand you too, sometimes," She grinned. "Zuko, I love you."

Zuko shook his head. "What?"

She grinned. "You are a Vampil, you can hear me. I am going out, and if you are not gone before I come back, I will follow you."

She turned to look at him.

**Be careful, Zuko. I do not want you dying on me. **

Zuko heard, but he didn't answer her back.

**I love you **. She whispered mentally to him, and she knew he heard because he shook his head again, as if not wanting to hear it. **Tough luck, **she thought smiling. She was not going to leave him and she was not going to let him forget that she love him.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:** Yeah... I used Suki. Poor Suki. w I didn't do that because I don't like her or anything, she's actually one of my favorite girls of Avatar besides Katara, Yue, Azula, and the most hyperactive...Ty Lee! Yes, I like Azula. Even though she's a sadist she still gives girls that badass image! Take that all you Azula haters!

You guys must be crazy if you don't remember Wei Jin from Avatar! I actually liked that episode about the Zhang tribe. x3

Seeing how people are favoriting and alerting my story but not even reviewing. I will end the story here untill I get more reviews. I put hardwork into this story and I figured it would all pay off by LOTS and LOTS of people praising me for it. Ah... oh well. Besides, the end was very near too...

Well... Toodles~!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender nor its characters....

I wish I did though.

But I do own Hamaya!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_Destruction and Chaos_

* * *

"He is gone."

Katara turned to glare angrily at the maid in front of her. "What do you mean he is gone? He was just here yesterday!"

"Mi'lady," the maid bowed, "I am saying that he is not here, and he will not be here for quite a while."

"Where did he go?" She stood up and cross the room to look out at the window. "Where did he go?"

"It is obvious, that he has gone in search of his enemy," the maid answered her. "Remember? He would have gone earlier had you not went ahead of the mission."

Katara glared at the maid but didn't say anything. She knew it was true; after all, that was why she had decided to go ahead of the mission and kill Wei Jin in the first place, because she did not want Zuko to leave her, not yet anyway. He was determined to kill this Jet that she had met a very long time ago, but could not remember.

"He has asked for you to stay inside as much as you can and do not arouse suspicion while he is gone."

"What kind of suspicion would I arouse?" Katara told herself. "I am only a little girl, helpless and innocent."

"Innocent and helpless you are not," the maid told her sharply. "The master has taught you well, you should know how to defend myself."

Katara ignored the maid. "I am going out tonight, do not wait up for me, do not bother to come and find me and go ahead and have dinner without me." She told the maid who had turned her back on her and was getting the sheets from the bed to wash for the night.

"But mi'lady, the lord has instruct us to—" the maid turned around, only to find the window opened and the young lady gone. "Wherever did my master find this girl?" The maid shook his head. "It is a good thing that she is not in my care."

Katara stomped angrily around the village. Just yesterday when she had returned home to find Zuko sitting alone in one of his moods, she had thought that he might have change his mind, that he might not go after all, and she had accompanied him, talked with him the whole night. She should have known that Zuko would just go off and leave him, she should have known better.

"You should really watch where you are going," the voice came out of nowhere.

"Aang!" Katara grinned. "Am I glad to see you!"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," Katara frowned. "Did Zuko come to you yesterday?"

If the prince had not hesitated just for a second, Katara would have missed it, but he hesitated.

"He did come to you yesterday, did he not!" She stomped towards him. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," he coughed. "Nothing at all. Would you like to come over?"

"Let me guess," Katara touched her chin, pretending to be touching a beard there. "He told you to take very good care of me and that he will return as soon as he can."

He smiled. "You can really read mind, can you not?"

"No, I knew it already," she sighed. "I supposed I would only get in the way."

"Jet is really taken with you."

"So you say," she muttered. "Everyone is taken with me, but the one true person I want to be taken with me is not taken with me, why is that?"

Aang laughed. "You are smart, but when it comes it true love, you are blind as well."

"Everyone can be blind to love." She agreed. "Aang, if I asked you something, will you promise to tell me truthfully?"

"Depends on what you are going to ask."

"Well—" Katara followed beside him along the market. "What did you do to that human who stabbed Toph?"

Aang turned to look at her. "Are you getting this for Toph?"

She shook her head. "I am just curious. How far will you go to get Toph safe?"

"Very far," he answered seriously. "I ripped his heart out," he answered. "But that is all I am going to say. Come, join me for lunch?"

"Is that why you are here?"

"Yes, I am shopping for food."

Katara grinned. "Did you get Toph mad again?"

"Only a little bit," he admitted. "She told me not to go near her until I apologize. Will you be my company until my wife's Zuko mood is gone?"

"I do not mind," she grinned. "Tell me a story about the good old days."

"Well, let me see here," Aang thought for a moment. "I was—"

"Not you!" Katara glared. "I mean Zuko."

Aang look at her and then laughed. "Ah, yes, Zuko. You want to know about Zuko, but not me."

Katara nodded.

"Ah very well," he seated himself under the shade from the eyes of the crowd and took out two apples. He threw one to Katara. "Are you sure you do not want to hear about me rescuing the princess of a foreign—"

"No," Katara interrupted. "I want to hear about Zuko."

He sighed, "Well…there is not much to tell, I admit. He was my Uncle's bastard son."

"He is a bastard?" Katara gasped, thinking back to those many times she had mentally and self-consciously called him a bastard. "He is a real one?"

"Yes," Aang frowned at her. "Did he not tell you?"

She shook her head.

"I am not sure I should be telling you this then," Aang shook his head. "I think it will be better if I let Zuko tell you once he gets back." He stood up.

"But you promised." Katara glared at him.

"Yes, I did promise, so I will tell about myself instead," he chuckled. "When I was a little boy…"

"Are you sure she is the one?"

"Yes, she is. She has the same exact voice and figure. I could not see her face, but I would recognize her voice anywhere. She has that your-are-a-commoner-I-am-a-princess attitude."

"She was the one that killed Ginger?"

"No, it was her partner, the vampire."

"How do you know she is a vampire? How do you know her partner is a vampire?"

"That is why we are going tonight, to prove it, and we bring along a witness."

"Maybe three of four of them, just in case."

Katara frowned.

Something was wrong, something was very wrong. No maids had come to bother her at all that evening when she came in. It was the first time that it had happened. Every time she had come home late, her maids were always there, glaring at her, but they were also her friends. When they had been glaring at her, they were pretending to be mad at her for Zuko's sake.

"Song? Jin? Hamaya?" She called. "Where are you?"

"M'lady?"

"Ah, Ty Lee," Katara smiled at the butler, "Where is everyone?"

"That I do not know," the butler shook his head. "They have not appeared at all for their jobs."

"Maybe they are out late tonight. It is only nine."

"But they are usually here by six thirty."

"And scowling at me. Maybe they are feeding late?"

Ty Lee shook his head. "Zuko has given them instructions to never feed until half past midnight."

"Then where are they?" Katara thought loudly. "Do you think that they might be…in trouble?"

"No," Ty Lee shook his head at her again." They are strong enough to defend against any mere human."

"Not me," Katara grinned.

"You are different." Ty Lee smiled at his master's partner.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I." Ty Lee lifted his head in the air. "I smell blood."

He moved before Katara could blink and disappeared around the corner. Katara reacted instantly without having to think and followed right behind Ty Lee.

"A fight," Katara heard the punches, the kicks, and the grunts a mile away. Ty Lee was right beside her, running along with her.

"Duel," Ty Lee told her. "Hamaya has mentioned that she was going to challenge her Master. I did not really think she would do it."

"Why?"

"Because she is not a full fledge vampire yet. She did not complete her full training."

"So?"

"In order to become her own woman, she needs to fight her Master. If she wins, then she gets to go her own way and she will not have to follow her Master around anymore."

"When you say Master, do you mean the one who created her?"

"Yes," Ty Lee stopped in front of a large clearing. In front were to figure, constantly attacking each other, from behind, from in front, anywhere possible.

"Is it a duel to the finish?" Katara asked, standing beside Ty Lee.

Ty Lee reply without bothering to look at her as he moved his body in front of hers, as if to shield her, were anything to happen, "Yes. No. It depends on how much freedom the slave wants—and how much power."

Katara glared at Ty Lee before she moved from behind him to back beside him.

"Sorry," he grinned charmingly at her. "Master's order."

"Is Zuko your master?" She asked.

Ty Lee nodded. "He treats me fairly and I have no desire to be free."

"Why?" Katara eyed him curiously. "I would hate to be chain to someone."

"Because he takes very good care of what is his," Ty Lee told her. "If I were to get in trouble with one of the vampires, they cannot harm me for I belong to Zuko, and since Zuko's name is very well know, everyone leaves what is his, alone."

"Oh. Hamaya, does she belong to—"

"No," Ty Lee answered, watching the fight before him. "Hamaya belongs to him."

Katara turned to watch the battle. "If Hamaya is here, then where are the rest of the maids?"

"You should go back inside and wait, Mi'lad—"

"Katara!" She scowled darkly at Ty Lee. "You call me mi'lady one more time and I will fire you!"

"You cannot do that," Ty Lee smiled, amused. "You are not my boss."

"No matter," Katara crossed her arms. "I feel uncomfortable when you call me by that name."

"It is not a name, it is a title."

Katara ignored Ty Lee and watched just as Hamaya's master did a double kick, one on her stomach and the other one her chest. Hamaya who had not been watching, flew backwards from the blow and stuck a tree. Blood spurted from her mouth and she coughed some onto the ground.

"You cannot go yet," the deep voice came. "Hamaya, I have told you, I will not let you go."

"You cannot keep me forever by your side," Hamaya stood up. "I will always come back to challenge you."

The figure moved until he was leaning over Hamaya's body. "Are you alright?"

Hamaya wiped the blood from her mouth. "Always the sentimental one, Master. "She stood up and winced. "I will leave one day."

The figure froze. "When you can finally beat me then you can brag about it. Until then, you will remain by my side."

Hamaya sneered at her Master. "You mean one step behind you? A slave cannot be equal to a Master."

Katara stiffened and blush. It seems this was supposed to be something private, and she felt like she had just walked into a very intimate scene.

"Do not worry," Ty Lee told her, as if reading her mind. "It is well known that Hamaya and her Master are lovers, yet Hamaya wishes to under her own protection rather than under her master."

"But her master will not let her go?"

"Correct," Ty Lee turned around. "She has been with her master for almost a hundred years now. The master cannot bear to let her go, so he has promised her if she could beat him in a duel, he will let her go."

"For how long, I wonder," Katara smiled, amused.

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee glance at her and then back to the road ahead of them.

"How long until he goes after her, it is obvious," she grinned. "Do not tell me you have never been in love."

Ty Lee shook his head. "It is forbidden."

"What do you mean?" Katara steadied herself until she was walking beside Ty Lee. The big mansion before them was still quite a while away and she wanted to hear Ty Lee's story. She had never had a chance to talk with Ty Lee because Zuko was always sending him on errands.

She sighed contently as she lifted her face to the night breeze. It was a warm night, with the breeze to cool if it got too humid. The stars shone brightly in the dark sky, some bigger than others and others smaller. One shooting star flew across the horizon and Katara glance at Ty Lee to see if he noticed anything. He didn't. She closed her eyes and made a wish.

"Zuko wants total loyalty from all of his slaves and servants. He tolerates Hamaya, who is already loyal to another because she is in dire need of a job and she had proven her loyalty to both her master and Zuko. I cannot permit myself to love because if I do, then she will soon come first instead of my master.

"So does Zuko forbid it?"

"No," Ty Lee answered truthfully, "Zuko has made it clear that he will not permit divided loyalties and he will not come second. You know how he is."

Katara nodded. "How long have you been with him?"

"Three hundred years."

"That long?" Katara's eyes widened. "You two have a past together."

"Yes, I trust him and he trust me. It is more like a brother relationship."

"Does he trust you with his life?"

"Yes," Ty Lee nodded. "We are here now, you best get inside and stay inside."

"Why do you say that?"

Ty Lee made a move with his head to his left. "I smell trouble. Stay inside and do not come out unless I tell you to."

Katara waited patiently inside the house. She would not have stayed, but Ty Lee has asked her to, and she also had smelled trouble in the air. With a sigh, she decided to walk around the house one more time before going to bed. She had walked around the house five times, making sure the doors were locked and everything was okay.

The final time, when she looked out the window, she stopped and stared in horror.

There were five men outside, and they were stabbing the hearts of two of her maids.

'**No'** The voice commanded her.

'**Ty Lee, I cannot just leave them like that!' **

'**Sorry mi'la—Katara, but you best leave this up to me'**

'**Where are you?'**

Katara got her answer as she looked from the widow. She saw Ty Lee come out of nowhere and stabbed one of the men. The others two were still too busy stabbing that they didn't see their friend disappeared, being carried off by Ty Lee.

Ty Lee disappeared as fast as he came.

When they finally noticed that their friend was gone, they stopped what they were doing.

Katara looked away. Jin and Song were dead. They could not have survived the attack on heart. Her eyes blurred. They were vampires, but they were very good vampires. Who found out about them anyway? They had been very discreet about their kind, someone must have found out about them.

'**Two down, one more to go'** Ty Lee's voice came out of nowhere inside Katara's head. **'Katara, will you please take care of the bodies?'**

Katara nodded. **'You take care of those bastards, Ty Lee. I will take care of their bodies.' **

Twenty-five minutes lady, Katara stood over the grave of two of her housemaids. Jin and Song. They were of another kind, but they were humans. They didn't kill anybody; they didn't harm anyone. They protected her, cared for her, and even joked with her. Katara smiled sadly. "Good-bye, Jin, Song. Zuko will avenge your death, I am sure of it."

"What did I say, she was here."

Katara heard them before she saw them. Five people surrounded her, two of them looked pretty young, probably eighteen, nineteen. "What do you want?" She snarled at them, turning around and around to look at each and every one of them.

"She is aligned with the devils."

"I would never have believed you, have I not seen it."

"Burn her, we must burn her!"

Katara laughed, a very harsh laugh. "So, you were the ones that killed Jin and Song."

"We do not know their names and we do not care," one answered her. "They are the devils and they should die."

"They are human," she told them.

"You do not have to worry, you will join them soon enough."

Katara moved before anyone could grab her and she tripped two of them in order to get past them. "I do not think so, what makes you think that the five of you can go against me?"

"Kill her."

Katara kicked one of them in the men and went on to the next one, kicking and punching each of them. She put enough force into them that when she had finished with the three of them, they were on the ground, unmoving. They weren't dead, just unconscious.

"Watch out," Katara reacted instantly without thinking, bringing her hand up just as the sword came at her. She grabbed the sharp edge of the blade, stopping the blade from coming at her.

"Big mistake," Katara snarled as she winced from the pain. The sharp edge pierced through her skin, and her palm was bleeding. She thrust the sword of the hands of her opponent and grabbed him by the neck with her bloody hands.

"You!" She cried. "You are the kid from the alleyway. What are you doing here? I thought Zuko killed you."

"That was his big mistake," the kid smiled at her, and then plunge a hidden dagger into her stomach.

Katara flung the kid into a tree before she pulled the dagger out of her stomach and put her palm against it to stop the already bleeding wound. Damn! Zuko taught her better than this, how stupid she was to be off guard like this! She fell to the ground, one knee on the ground and wince from the pain. It was only a small wound, she hoped. The kid didn't stab that deep, thank god, but she was losing blood fast. She pressed harder on her wound. She shouldn't move, she knew that, but another one came up behind her and it was either her head or him.

Katara moved, quickly reappearing behind him and with a swift movement, got out her sword that Zuko had found after his battle with Wei Jin and sliced silently. When she was on the ground again and breathing heavily, the head of her opponent fell off.

Before she could blink, a gleam caught her eye and she turned around, stabbing another man in the stomach. Katara blinked as his blood got her face, but she didn't think as she pulled the sword out of his stomach and jumped to avoid another sword coming at her. She couldn't go on like this, she thought. She was losing blood fast, and if she kept moving, she was going to faint in no time at all.

"Look at her, pitiful human creature," one guy laughed. "She can barely hold herself up."

Katara was down on the ground on one knee, her right hand was holding her sword while her left hand was set against her palm, trying to stop the wound from bleeding. **'Do not underestimate me.' **She thought.

"Get her!"

Two men charged at her while she remained unmoving. When they brought their swords up, Katara moved like lightning, cutting one guy in the stomach and slash the other one in the neck. She barely had time to move before a dagger came flying at her and she moved instantly without thinking as the dagger passed her, cutting off only an inch of her hair and landing deep into the tree trunk behind her.

Katara was breathing heavily as she backed herself against a tree to make sure no one would come up from behind. She was panting, and she was cursing herself. They were humans! She had killed more powerful vampires than them, so why was she breathing like she had ran more than a thousand miles? She winced from the pain at her side. If she wasn't so stupid and hadn't gotten herself stabbed, maybe she would still be smiling from her victory. Oh well, Katara managed to grin despite herself. If she was going down, she was going down with a fight.

Zuko eyed Jet, his brother carefully as he moved into the circle of battle. After searching and asking around for Jet, a farmer had finally told him that he had heard some noises in the mountains and Zuko had come to investigate, only to find his brother was waiting for him.

"Welcome, brother, at last to my lair." Jet grinned at his brother, his nemesis all his life. "Where is your lover?"

Zuko didn't react at all to his brother's comment. "Are you ready to die at last, my dear brother?"

"You should be saying your prayers," Jet brought his hands up. "I have recovered from the last attack more powerful than before, and this here, shall be your graveyard."

"I am sorry," Zuko said with a glint in his eyes. "But I have stopped saying my prayers a very long time ago."

"Get ready to meet your God." Jet's eyes flared red as he ram towards Zuko.

"Katara!"

Katara heard the call. "Over here, Ty Lee." She kicked the man before her in the groin and disappeared just as another sword came flying at her out of nowhere. Katara reappeared overhead and brought her sword down on the back of the man who had just flung the sword. "Where is everyone?"

"You are hurt!" Ty Lee was fighting his way through to get to his master's pupil.

"Only a little bit, where is Hamaya?"

"She is with her master," Ty Lee crushed one guy with his bare hands and threw a guy halfway across the forest. "Why did you not call for help?"

"I forgot!" She called. "Where did all these people come from?"

"They are the villagers!" Ty Lee disappeared and reappeared by Katara's side.

"What? Villagers! You mean I have been killing villagers?" Katara's eyes widened and her knees almost buckled beneath her, but Ty Lee caught her in time.

"Not now, mi'lady," Ty Lee swung Katara over his back. "You cannot faint now, we need to escape."

"You are right," Katara pushed off of Ty Lee's back. "I have just barely enough to escape, I cannot fight no more."

"You need to rest."

Katara grinned. "I could keep going, come, and let us go to the Prince and Princess."

"So tell me, have you sipped her blood yet?" Jet threw a punch, and then a kick, but Zuko avoided them. "I tell you, her blood was sweet, and once you are out of the picture, I can have all the blood I can from her."

Zuko avoided the punches and blocked the kicks that came at him. He was surprised though, because Jet's punches and kicks were a lot stronger than they were before. Even so, he was still a little weak. Sure he may have recovered, but what Jet did not know, was that he needed at least another year to grow stronger. He had feared that the most, but he needn't fear it now. As it turns out, Jet was still a little weak and he did not fully understand the full powers at hand.

"I do not know why you are so determined to kill me," Zuko swung his arm out and Jet went flying backwards, his back slammed into a trunk. "I would have gladly accepted you as my brother, but you were never strong in spirit. You refused to back down, and you let your anger grow, now that anger is clouding you. You are no longer my brother, a stranger covered in hatred."

"For you," Jet spat as a sword appeared out of nowhere.

Zuko's eyes turned red. "What? Bare hands is not enough that you must use weapons in order to defeat me?"

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing," Katara grinned weakly at the princess. "I was practicing my fighting skills."

"The villagers are right behind us," Ty Lee told the prince. "Somehow, they have found out she is with us. Someone must have alerted them to the vampires."

"Sokka," Prince Aang shouted. "Take Katara away to be healed."

"They are coming," Katara frowned. "What if they decide to burn this forest?"

"Then we shall die together here," the prince told her.

"No," Katara glared at the prince. "I cannot let you do that. Zuko would kill me."

The prince laughed at her. "More like he would kill me for not taking better care of you."

"What are you talking about?" Katara stood up. "Now is not the time to be joking."

"I was not joking," Prince Aang flicked his hand at Katara. "Now sleep, I command you."

Katara ran towards the prince to attack him. "You cannot do that! That is not fair! You cannot—" She faltered and Ty Lee caught her again before she touched the ground.

"For a moment there, she almost got me," Prince Aang grinned. "Take her upstairs. She needs at least a day to heal fully."

Ty Lee bowed his head. "Thank you."

"Sokka, show him the way. Get the men ready, we will fight if we must."

"Why, brother, you have only become weaker," Zuko taunted Jet as he avoided his brother's sword. "I thought you would be faster than that."

Jet was slowly getting angry. Yes, he thought he had thought he was stronger than Zuko, but he thought wrong. Zuko was still faster than him, but why? He had gone underground, had rested for two years, and when he had come out, he had felt stronger, more alive, yet why was his brother still stronger than him?

"I could avoid this sword all day," Zuko yawned at his brother. "You could at least provide some excitement for your step brother who has come all this way just to kill you."

"Do not be so sure of yourself," Jet stopped and glare at his brother, who had backed away before stopping a feet from him.

"Come," Zuko spread his arms wide. "I will give you a fair shot at me."

Jet knew he shouldn't, but he was no fair fighter, and he took off, his sword in front of him. He was just inches away from Zuko's heart when the hand came out of nowhere, stopping the sword in its track. "What the—"

"This one is for me," Zuko brought his foot up and kicked him in the stomach and then smashed him in the face with his other foot. "That one is for all those people you have killed without mercy."

Jet landed on his knees before Zuko.

"Do you want another chance to come at me?" Zuko's eyes darkened and his smile turned evil. "Come, brother. I am willing to give you a fair chance."

Jet stood up and threw a dagger at his brother, but Zuko caught it, twisted around, and returned the dagger to its owner. It pierced Jet in the shoulder.

Zuko shook his head. "It is almost a shame to kill you, my own brother." He took a step towards him, and then another. "But I have promised the King. I set the rules. I have the right to give or take life away, and you, brother I will take life away. You have broken the sacred promise you made to me years before and now I now have the right to kill you."

Zuko took out his sword. "Say your prayers, Jet. This here will be your grave for all eternity."

Katara heard the cry even in her sleep. It was a young girl crying for her parents…

"_Halt!" _

"_Let her go, Jet. She is my wife, not yours."_

"_Yours for only your lifetime, Hakoda, but she is mine forever." _

"_Let her go, I will only say it once."_

"_And what if I do not? What will you do with me? Scare me off with a cross? Drive a stake through my heart?"_

"_Uncle!" _

"_Run, child!" _

"_Yes, run child, but that will get you no where," _

"_Do not do that!" _

"_I no like you! What did you do with my mommy!"_

Katara remembered.

She remembered everything, Zuko, Jet. Her family, her life before Jet came and destroyed her village. Yes, she finally remembered, but why now? Why did that little girl's crying bring back the memories of her past now? Now she wanted to sleep, now she wanted to think about her past life, about her parents, about everything, but she couldn't go back to sleep. Someone needed her. Katara couldn't sleep, why wouldn't that little girl stop crying? Where was she? Why can't she move her hands?

"Come out, you witch."

Katara opened her eyes.

"Come out or we will kill this little girl!"

Katara moved from the spell she was under and stood up. Little girl? There was no little girl here except the Princess—

"Aang, that is little Chi." Princess Toph's desperate voice was heard.

Where were they? How come she could hear them very well?

"Katara, what are you doing up?" Ty Lee came inside the room, surprised. "You were under the prince's spell."

"Ty Lee, where are the voices coming from?"

"Outside."

"I could hear them, I can hear this far away…why is that?"

Ty Lee shook his head, unwilling to say.

"They have Chi."

"Yes, I know," Ty Lee bowed his head. "But we cannot do a thing. We must sit patiently. You need to heal, Mi'lady. You are hurt, and the wound is not fully healed yet."

Katara finally remembered the wound at her at her palm and where she had gotten stabbed. "But they have Chi."

"We cannot do anything for the kid."

"To hell we cannot!" Katara stood up.

"You need to rest!"

"Not when a child is in danger, "Katara grabbed her sword. "Are you with me, Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee sigh. "I must, or master will punish me if I do not watch over you."

"What are you doing up?" Prince Aang's astonished eyes met Katara's. "I have put you under a sleeping spell, you should not have awaken up until tomorrow."

"Zuko has done that to me more than a couple of times, but it does not always work," Katara grinned at the prince. "I am sorry about Chi."

"It is not your fault," Toph shook her head sadly. "We told that girl to stay inside with her brothers."

"Do not worry, I will get her back." Before Aang could open her mouth, Katara was gone.

"We will count to three and if you do not come out, we well kill the girl."

"It is only just a little girl," Katara's voice came out of nowhere and was everywhere at once. "Will you kill a little child just to get me out?"

"Ah, there you are witch. Come out and surrender and we will let this child go. What is she to you?"

"Let her go." Katara told them.

"Come out."

Silence.

"Then we will kill her on the count of three. One…two…three!"

Chi twisted, just enough so that Katara could grab her, and Katara appeared out of the sky from nowhere and grabbed the child. She quickly disappeared behind the shadows in the woods.

"Ty Lee, take her to her parents." Katara commanded.

"But mi'lady, what about you? You—"

"Go, now! I will come back, I promise." Katara handed Ty Lee Chi.

Ty Lee look at Katara and nodded. "Remember, you promise." He disappeared behind her.

Katara turned her attention back to the front. She watched in amusement as the humans argued among themselves for a little while, and then finally someone stopped the argument and turned towards the forest.

"We cannot go in there, we cannot see. She might have her armies in there waiting for us."

"Why not burn the forests?"

"We need the forests and the woods!"

"But the witch is in there!"

Katara's heart leaped. Burn the forests? Not a good thing. This was the Vampils home, and even though they could escape, they will lose all the important documents, all their ancestries within the forest….

"Fine, burn the forests!"

"Burn it!"

"Halt!" Katara closed her eyes and stepped forward into the light, hoping her entrance would make them forget about burning the forests.

"Is she the one?"

"She must be the one!"

"You do not need to burn the forests," Katara's eyes gleamed with hatred. "I am here. There is no one else in the forests but animals and their homes."

"Is she armed?"

"Do you surrender?" A figure stepped out.

Katara recognized the figure immediately. It was the fortune-teller.

"Surrender or we will burn the forest down."

"No need," Katara took a deep breath. "But burn if you must for I am here already. It will be your lost, not mine." Katara prayed silently that they will not burn it and she let out a breath of relief when they all focus their attention to her.

"What will we do now?"

"Yes, you must tell us, what do we do?"

Katara stared as everyone turned to question the fortune-teller. She peered at the fortune-teller's eyes. She saw pain and anguished in them that were easily hidden to the world. "We must burn her. That is the way it must be."

Katara nodded silently to the fortune-teller. So be it, she spoke silently to the fortune-teller.

Her hand was tied tightly behind her back to make sure she wouldn't escape and Katara chuckled inside. Foolish, she could escape whenever she wanted. She was stronger than they were.

She was taken to a small hut and was locked in there, as the preparations to burn her were prepared. Zuko, she wondered if Zuko would rescue her this time. Just like a knight, he had rescued her whenever she was in trouble. He had known when she was in trouble, even when she didn't bother to call, and she wasn't going to call him.

The door opened and the fortune-teller stepped in. She closed the door behind her. The only light was her candle.

"I warned you." The fortune-teller told her.

"I heeded your warning well." Katara told her. "You could have helped."

"This is the way it is to be," The fortune-teller told her. "You have two destiny. This is the way."

"The way to what? Death?" Katara sneered. "You do not need to pity me. It is your doing, if you forget."

"Yes, it is my doing," The fortune-teller told her. "But they people come to me because to them, I am the Wise One. They seek questions that cannot be answer and I answer for them. If I do not do my duty, I will no longer be needed."

Katara didn't answer.

"Zuko is…my nephew."

"Then why are you going to kill me? I do not think he would like it…very much. Or wait; did he want this to happen? Does he hate me this much even after I told him I love him?"

"You what?"

"I told him I love him, is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no," The fortune-teller smiled. "At least you told him before you die."

"Yes," Katara agreed. "Before I die."

"Do you still have the amulet? The necklace?"

"Around my neck."

"Keep it there and do not pull it out no matter how it burns through your skin," the fortune-teller came up to look at her. "Fate has work her hands, and all will be for naught. Do not be afraid to die."

"I am not afraid to die." Katara said stubbornly. "I am just afraid to leave Zuko alone by himself."

"Do not worry, he will remain sane enough until you come back to him, just like you promise."

"I never promised him anything." Katara looked away, embarrassed.

"You promised to never leave him."

"How did…" Katara's voice trailed off. She was a fortune-teller; she wouldn't be one if she didn't know! "What do you mean by he will remain sane?"

"Oh, he will probably go crazy for a couple of years and then go into hiding and finally reawaken when you have been… reincarnation."

"What do you mean?" Katara eyed the fortune-teller curiously. "If you do not want me to die in the first place, why?"

"Because it is your destiny," the fortune-teller shook her head. "I cannot stay longer, but good luck."

Katara stood up to follow the fortune-teller, but as she got to the front door, she was pulled back into the room. Then she was blindfolded.

"Kill me then."

Zuko brought down his sword, only to miss and pierce the ground near Jet's head.

"You missed." Jet brought out his own sword and if it were not for Zuko's quick eye, he would have been stabbed badly in the stomach. Zuko moved away, slowly from his stepbrother as he held his sword in front of him.

"Why did you miss, brother?" Jet smiled evilly at him. "Do not tell me your conscious is in the way."

Zuko finally showed emotion for the first time since the battle had begun. "If it were only my conscious, I would have killed you a long time ago." He drew back so his back was facing the trees that way Jet won't be able to get him from behind.

"Then what is stopping you?" Jet sneered at his brother. "Because I will not be so merciful."

'**Mother'** Zuko's thought conjured up an image he had not seen in a long time. She had the same dark hair and the same eyes. Sometimes they were cold, most of the time; they were filled with love and laughter, for her sons. For both of her sons.

Zuko closed his eyes even as he heard his mother's words: **'You must find a way to save him. He could not possibly be all evil, after all, your father was evil until he met me. You must not kill him, even if your loyalty is first to your King. If he had disobeyed the law of the undead, you must find another way to judge him, find him another justice. Do not kill him… you two are step brothers. You must not kill him; he is only a boy, a boy! Promise me, Zuko; promise me on your father's grave….'**

He had not heard them for a very long time, had refused to face Jet because he knew that that day would come. Jet's judgment day would one day arrive, but he had hoped that his brother had changed, if only a little so that he would be able to keep the promise to his mother. He had thought he might be able to change his brother before it was too late, but now…now he had no other way. If he killed Jet, his mother would curse him for hell. If he let Jet live, Jet would curse those on earth with him, especially Katara. Katara, whom Jet had wanted and waited for, for seventeen years. Seventeen damn long years, and if he let Jet go, he would stop at nothing to get her.

Jet rushed at him, attempting to catch him off guard while his mind was still thinking, still wondering around, but Zuko had not lived for so long by being stupid. He sidetracked and counterattacked with a kick that sent Jet flying sideways into another tree. He didn't even wince as his stepbrother slammed into the tree, causing a big huge gap in the middle of the trunk. His stepbrother was tough, tougher than he had been before.

Jet sat up, one knee on the ground; one hand holding the injured arm that had been slammed against the tree. It might be broken, but he could fix it. He placed the broken arm on the ground, then exerted all his force onto the hand, and twisted it into the knot; all the while his eyes were on his brother.

"It is no use," Zuko told his brother calmly. "If you surrender now, I will take you to the prince and we will pass judgment our own way on you and you will be spared with your life. If you do not surrender, I will have to kill you here and break my word to my—our mother."

"Always the honest one, were you not?" Jet stood up as he wiped the small blood away from his mouth. "Always the honorable, loyal one. Well, either you break your promise to Mother today and kill me or you die with your honor intact."

Zuko might have let Jet come at him again, but he was tired of playing defense, so he went offense, and elbowed Jet in the stomach to make him lose some air. It worked. Jet was once again on the ground; coughing and wheezing as if he had ran more than a hundred miles.

Zuko stared, emotionless, as his brother struggled for breath. He had packed enough punch in it that any ordinary man would have died just by damaging the stomach organs and not getting enough oxygen to the lungs in time. It was a trick he had learned from his father before his father had passed away, a very useful trick to the undead. It slowed them down a little, especially if they were not getting enough oxygen into their system. He had almost killed his father when he was practicing with him.

"You bastard," choked Jet. "What did you use on me?"

"It is a trick I learned from father," Zuko told him easily as if they were discussing nothing important. "Father taught me before he died. Of course he told me never to use it on any mere mortal, so here I am practicing it on you."

"Damn you." Jet's face was turning red. "You really are going to kill me."

Zuko's eyes turned blue and his body stiffened at the accusation. What could he say? He was meant to be alone, and that meant destroying the people that dared get close to him. He would never kill them, but he had a lot of enemies, most them more than centuries old. They were out for his blood and if anyone near him can't take care of themselves then they would use them against him. It was a good tactic, often used in times of war and vengeance, and Zuko admitted, it always worked. It also meant that he was to make the final judgment on who should live and who should die, so what can he do? If one was guilty, and he knew that person, his feelings could not be involved in the decision or else he would have never gotten the title as the Judgment One. One who came swift in the night to judge and disappear never to be seen again until it was time for to judge again. No one knew who he really was, except for the royal family, and even they don't know the whole information. Even Katara had no idea he was always the last one to pass judgment, didn't know he was playing God with the undead. But it was his destiny, his role. It was why he was here now.

"One last time," Zuko pointed the sharp tip end of his sword at his brother's neck. "Will you, or will you not surrender?"

Jet stared at the sword in front of him, then up to his stepbrother's eyes. "I will never surrender."

Katara's heart was already speeding up as she was pushed back, up against a pole. Then both her hands were grabbed from behind and tied to the pole. Her breath quicken as they removed the blindfold and she found herself in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by villagers, people old and young, children. Some had no idea what was going on and others stare at her, clinging to their mother's skirts.

"Witch, do you have anything to say for yourself before we burn you?"

Katara looked down at her bare feet. She saw the chopped woods; she saw the hay. She was getting nervous and her mind wanted to call out to Zuko, as she did always when she needed him, but she kept that part in control. No, she would not call Zuko. _Zuko._ Her heart slowed and her breathing relaxed just by thinking of him. Yes, she had told him she loved him, the deepest, darkest secret that she had ever carried in her heart. She was going to die, but she didn't regret it, even though Zuko never admitted that he loved her, at least she had the chance to tell him she loved him.

Someone threw a rock at her and it hit her face. Katara returned back to reality. She saw three men, one in front of her and two to her sides. They were carrying torches.

"Say yer prayers then, ye old witch, today ye'll met yer God in 'ell."

"Wait—!" Katara shouted, but they threw the torches into the woodpile beneath her feet.

Katara reacted instantly, her mind going into defense mode, demanding her to untie her hands. But it was a very big knot, and she couldn't see so she couldn't pull. Everyone was screaming, shouting, yelling, but she didn't hear. Her only mind focused on the dangerous situation she was in.

Soon, the fire surrounded her. Katara started to breath in the smoke and she started to cough. No, no no! Her mind yelled at her, and she started to panic. She didn't want to die now; she was too young to die! She was only seventeen, she hadn't yet turned eighteen yet. Too young, too young….

She hadn't even kissed Zuko enough yet!

"Ouch!" She shouted as something hot shot at her foot. She stiffened and tried to huddle herself in closer to get away from the fire. She was panicking just as bad as the time when she had killed her first victim. Zuko, Zuko, she wanted to see him before the fire got to her. She wanted to see his face one last time. She was coughing, she could hardly see anyone else especially with all the smoke that was surrounding her, and without her realizing, her defensive mind called out to Zuko…

"Very well, enjoy your grave."

Zuko brought his sword back and thrust his sword forward. He would have pierced right through Jet's throat, had it not been for the panic that started inside his head and then continued all over his body, had it not been for the decreasing link of Katara's life, the decreasing link between them. The tip stopped right at the flesh of Jet's throat, making a small trail of blood.

"Why did you stop this time?" Jet sneered.

"Katara!" Zuko shouted to no one in particular, ignoring Jet. Every cell inside his body was focused on locating her. He was sensing her feelings, sensing her panic, and he was already in a state of panic himself. Where was she? How did she get herself in such a state of panic?

**Katara! **His mind shouted, his body already moving, already on the go, to where, he didn't know, all he knew was that he had to get there fast or she was disappear from his grasp forever.

**Z…Z…Zuko? **Her weak voice came into his head.

**Katara, tell me where are you!**

**Can…not. Do not…have—have…enough energy.**

**Katara!** Zuko located her, in the village.

**S…so…cold…Zuko…I am…c-c-cold….**

**Katara!**

Silence.

Hell, no, no! Katara! His heart was beating, for the very first time, he heard his heart as it speeded up past its normal state, and he feared it would burst—from fear—from something, if Katara did not answer him soon.

He found the village; he saw the smoke. But he didn't see her.

**Katara, answer me!**

Katara opened her eyes at the Zukond. Was Zuko really calling her? She opened her mouth, but found that she was too weak to try. She was too weak to do anything. She was cold and at the same time, very not. What was that sensation? It was killing her; she could hardly stand the pain, and just when she thought she was going to lose her mind, she saw her mother and her father.

'Just a little bit longer, honey.' Her mother smiled at her. 'Just stand the pain a little longer and you will finally come with us.'

'You were a good girl.' Her father beamed proudly at her. 'I am proud of you, but now you must leave now, come, come with us. It is time to leave Earth now.'

Katara nodded. Yes, she didn't want to suffer this pain any longer. But something was stopping her, something that wouldn't let her go.

**Damnit to hell, Katara, answer me!**

**Z-Z-Zuko?**

Zuko didn't realize he was holding his breath until she spoke into his mind.

**I cannot see you anywhere, where are you?**

No answer this time.

**Katara! **He was growing desperate again. **All right, you win. I do love you now answer me!**

That was it, Katara smiled. That was what she was waiting for; she could not die without hearing him speak the truth. She opened her mouth. "F-fire." Then she accepted her family's embrace, and let go.

Zuko heard and his heart almost stopped. And he thought his heart did stop for a second there when the link to Katara was lost.

**Katara, do not scare me so! **He commanded.

Fire, she had said fire. That meant she was in the fire, in the middle of the fire.

"Dear God…" He spoke softly as his mind subconsciously summoned the rain. Even as the rain swept away the fire, and he saw the brunt pole before him, his mind refused to acknowledge it. Even as his heart started to rage, he was shaking his head. Even when he spotted a half burnt rope, his refused to believe Katara was gone. Katara, Katara….

Her child-like features came into play. She was smiling; she was looking up at him with such adoration in her eyes. Fast forward into the future and her stubborn streak, her strengths and her weaknesses, her pouting lips, her innocent eyes. Fast forward again, and her in her tough clothes with her sword, her smiles, her eyes showing her love for him.

The promise she made: _"I will not leave you, not ever, ever again."_

"_Zuko, I have something to tell you."_

"_It is a very, very, it's the secret embedded in my heart."_

"_I love you…I love you…I love you…" _

"You promised," he whispered silently against the rain for the first time after a long while of staring at the brunt stage in front of him. "You promised you would never leave me."

Zuko fell to the ground on his knees as the rain continued to pour. He hung his face down.

"Zuko?"

It was Prince Aang.

"Zuko?"

"Get out." Zuko said in a flat voice.

"I am terribly sorry Zuko, I-I…"

"Get out," Zuko commanded, his voice growing colder, more distant. "Get your whole family, your whole pack underground if you wish to remain alive in this area."

"What are you going to do?" Aang asked hesitantly. He had never seen Zuko in this kind of state before. Aang had no idea whether Zuko was angry or sad.

"You have until midnight." He refused to say more, as if waiting for something, someone. Aang disappeared, and Zuko waited, and he waited.

"Zuko?"

He raised his head up, but only to look at the stage again. But he knew who was behind him. She was whom he had been waiting for.

"Why did you let her die?" He asked, his voice still cold and distant.

"It was Fate."

"Fate, be damn," he said without emotion. "Who killed her?"

She answered, hesitantly. "That, nephew, you already know."

"The villagers have no right to play with life."

"And you do?"

"I do not play with their life," Zuko answered her. "I do not care about mere mortals and their pitiful, angry lives. I do not care about any of them except—except Katara."

"I—"

"Shut up." Zuko told her quietly. "I live as the Judgment One and bring justice to the undead. I have live and seen many things, but I cannot believe you would let her die like that."

"All is not lost," she told him, wanting to cheer him up. "She will be reborn, do not worry. Several thousand years from now, in the year 2010, as a girl name Katara Yun. She will not remember you, but the Katara you love still lives in her and you could reawaken her memory again."

"Do you plan to change my mind, dear Aunt?" Zuko asked in a humorless voice. "Do you think to change my mind from what I am about to do to these villagers?"

"What you are about to do cannot bring her back," His aunt replied warily.

"No matter, I do not care. May God condemn me if he sees, but I see this as one life for another. It is now my turn to play with their lives."

"And their children, they have naught to do with this. Are you going to kill them too?"

Zuko closed his eyes, keeping all the emotions that he had hidden so long from surfacing. To contain the beast he had hidden so well from arising until the time was right. Had someone told him he might lose his heart to a mere mortal a century ago, he might have laughed it off and killed that person, but now…now he was going to get his revenge.

"You have until midnight to gather up those who have naught to do with this," Zuko told her emotionlessly as he stood up and went to the small burnt stage that was Katara's grave. "After midnight, you will live in guilt of all the innocent lives I am about to take."

His Aunt inhaled a shaky breath and backed away.

"Oh, and Azula," Zuko turned around, finally, and his Aunt took another step back in horror the expression on Zuko's face. "Until she comes back, I am no longer your nephew and will no longer have anything to do with you. And if what you say is not true, you will live alone in the darkness as your curse."

His Aunt, so beautiful in the moonlight, now seemed old and ugly to him. She turned around and ran all the way back, never forgetting the look of such coldness, hatred in his eyes that were crying out for the blood of the villagers, the ones who had played a part in Katara's death.

They were never going to escape him, he promised. Never.

* * *

**Other Information/Author's Note:** And this is the end. Yes, I killed Katara and it pained me to do it so don't yell at me. I actually cried writing her death and her and Zuko's conversation.

And so, I leave you all like this my dears.

Sayonara!


End file.
